Fallen Angel
by Pyewacket75
Summary: House/OFC. AU. Lexi is an Atlantic City showgirl who manages to get House's attention. But she has her own issues to deal with. Can House help her and can she trust him? Starts out pre-infarction and then goes from there. Rated M for adult situations.
1. Showgirls

_**A/N: Like it says in the summary, this is an AU fic and if House seems OOC it's because he is. I wanted to try something different. I'm not sure how it's going to work but I felt like experimenting. So just go with it ;) You might like this side of House.**_

_**Also, I wanted to acknowledge my lovely beta, Iyimgrace. This story is better because of her help and insight.  
**_

**Disclaimer**: I don't own House. If I did, I wouldn't need to experiment with OFC's because TPTB killed my favorite ship ;) The only characters I do own are the ones from my own imagination.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

**_Summer, 1999_**

Lexi sat in front of her mirror backstage in full costume and make-up, drinking water through a straw while trying to calm herself. No matter how many times she performed, she always felt nauseous right before going out there. She knew every dance step, every word of the songs she had to sing and she could do it all without a hitch, but it didn't stop her from the butterflies in her stomach.

"Showtime ladies!" the stage manager called out. "Time for our preliminary walk through the casino before the show. Line up!"

She took one last deep breath before getting up and taking her place in line. Her headdress felt unusually heavy and she was tired, but like a trooper, she plastered a smile on her face and followed the other girls out of the backstage area.

X X X

"In your face, Jimmy boy," House laughed as he slid an armful of his winning chips towards himself.

Wilson rolled his eyes. "You may have won this round, but the night's still young."

"Damn right. Winner takes all. And I'll do just that. Deal 'em."

House sat back with his drink as the chorus of showgirls paraded through the casino on their way to the theatre. Sometimes they would stop and pose for pictures with tourists if time allowed, but that didn't interest House. However, one of the girls managed to catch his eye.

She was tall, which made her stand out from the other women. At first, he thought it was because she was wearing heels, but when he looked at her feet, she didn't wear any shoes. Her legs were long and very nicely sculpted like that of a runner or a dancer. As his eyes traveled back up her body, he noticed her breasts through the top she wore and he almost did a double take. He could see why she was a showgirl. While she wasn't as big as some of the others, she did have nice breasts. As he continued his observation, he noted her jet black hair. It was glossy and untamed, falling about her shoulders.

Lexi could sense that she was being watched and she scanned the faceless crowd until she came upon the most amazing pair of blue eyes she'd ever seen in her life. They were simply breathtaking. The face of the man they belonged to wasn't bad either. He was clean shaven, in his early forties, with brown hair that was curly on top. She thought he might've been British but she couldn't be sure. It didn't matter anyway. She was being shoved along because she was holding up the line.

House gave his head a shake and took a long sip of his Scotch.

"You okay?" Wilson inquired.

"Yeah. Let's go see the show. We've been sitting here for hours. I need a break."

"Hot girls dancing about on stage?" Wilson asked, surprised that his friend would even consider such a thing. "I'm in. Let's go."

They managed to get seats off to the right of the stage and ordered another drink. "What's Stacy gonna say?"

"Please," House laughed. "It's just a show. It's not like I'm going home with one of them. She won't care."

But Wilson knew that look. House had an agenda. He never would've considered attending such a show unless something about it caught his attention. He could only guess it had something to do with the parade of showgirls in the casino earlier.

"Which one is she?" Wilson chuckled.

House looked surprised. "Which one what?"

"The girl you have your eye on. What other reason would we be here?"

"Because I've never been to one of these shows before and I wanna see what the fuss is about. Didn't you ever see Showgirls?"

"Yes, I saw it."

"And? Didn't you think it was hot?"

Wilson shrugged. "It had its moments, I'll give you that."

"Enough said. Let's go."

House was impressed with the talent in that show, but his attention was on the raven haired beauty on the stage with the long legs,1000 kilowatt smile and amazing voice. After the show, they hit the lounge in the hotel where the showgirls also came to relax and unwind.

An hour later, House was bored and ready go to up to bed. That was, until he saw her.

She was dancing slowly and seductively by herself to Ted Nugent's _Stranglehold_, and her eyes were closed. House put his beer down and made his way towards her.

She was even more breathtaking up close. With her face freshly scrubbed and her olive colored skin clear and smooth, she was a vision of perfection. He figured she was either Greek or Italian descent as he reached for her hand and twirled her around to face him. Her hands gripped his shoulders as his blue eyes locked with her violet ones.

House blinked twice and took another look. Yes, they were definitely violet. Clearly she was wearing colored lenses. He wondered what color they really were, but he didn't really care for the moment.

For awhile they just danced, neither of them speaking, but neither of them taking their eyes off the other. When the song ended, Wilson interjected with a beer for House and one for her, clearly amused by his friend's reaction to the woman. He was clearly entranced and Wilson couldn't help be curious what it was that drew House to her.

Over the next few weeks, House tried to distract himself from the Atlantic City showgirl. Her violet eyes and long legs haunted his dreams on a regular basis. He had to see her again. The question was, how to go about it?

Stacy would never go for it. She hated that showgirl stuff as much as he did. Still, her birthday was coming up and he wanted to do something nice. A trip to Atlantic city for shopping and dining out would certainly earn him some brownie points. She'd been working on back to back cases and had been spending a lot of her time in a stuffy courtroom lately. A getaway would be just what she needed.

So when she won her latest case, House surprised her by making her pack a bag for the weekend and whisked her away to the hotel he and Wilson had stayed in during the convention weeks before.

"A show? Are you serious?"

"It's really good. You like 70's and 80's music, this show is full of that kinda stuff. Wilson dragged me to it when we were here and I enjoyed it."

But Stacy was skeptical of course. "Are you sure it had nothing to do with the fact that the women are scantily clad?"

House laughed. "Well yeah, I admit that got my attention, but it wasn't the only thing I enjoyed. Besides, why would I stare at theirs when I have yours to grope whenever I want?" he said, as he pulled her close for a kiss.

His hands slid up her back and around the front of her top where he began to caress and massage her breasts the way he knew she liked. Her soft moans told him that he was on the right track, and soon she'd be amenable to anything he wanted.

"I'll make it worth your while," he whispered softly in her ear.

"Mmm...what did you have in mind?"

"If I recall, someone has a birthday tomorrow. And that someone is going to get spoiled rotten. But you have to...indulge me tonight and then I'm all yours for the rest of the weekend. Think you can handle that?"

"I'll suffer through it. But just so you know, I expect plenty of birthday sex."

"I have absolutely no problem with that. In fact," he said as he glanced at his watch, "we have some time before the show starts. I could...whet your appetite a little..."

"Mmm, Greg?"

"Yes?"

"I'm already wet," she whispered in his ear and began walking backwards towards the bedroom area of their suite.

X X X

Lexi stared longingly at the faded picture of her mother that she had pinned to her mirror. When her anxiety was ramped up, looking at the picture soothed her a little. She guzzled her third bottle of water and tossed it in the recycle bin before applying her lipstick. She was exhausted and yet wired at the same time. How was that even possible?

Again, she looked at her mother's picture. How she wished she, too, could be as graceful and have the body like her mother. Appollonia Vakakis was perfect. She was the exquisite professional ballerina Lexi had always dreamed of being.

Alas, nature had its own ideas. She wasn't graced with the ideal body that a ballerina should have. She was too tall, too busty, and too awkward. Or at least, that's what she had been told numerous times whenever she applied to any dance school in the past.

Instead, she was directed to other forms of dance that her body would be more suited for. That being theatre and dance. It wasn't what she wanted, but she needed money at the time. Her mother was getting sicker and there was no money to help her. Lexi was working two jobs and it was just barely keeping her family afloat.

And then suddenly her mother was gone, and Lexi was alone. She left home as soon as she turned eighteen to try and make something of herself in dancing. After many auditions and subsequent heartaches, the best she could do was numerous acts and numbers in Atlantic City.

Now, at the age of twenty-four, she was still miserable, alone and didn't even have a decent place to live. Her apartment was a run down, roach infested den of iniquity. But she couldn't go back home. She just couldn't. It had been too long. And what would there be to go back to? A poor excuse for a stepfather and a verbally abusive stepbrother and stepsister who constantly teased and berated her about her stuttering. It was her version of hell.

"Showtime in five minutes!" The stage manager shouted as she walked by.

Lexi put on the finishing touches of her make-up, her blonde wig and got up a little too quickly, causing a severe head rush. She wobbled a little, but enough that one of the girls passing by grabbed her.

"Hey, you okay, Lex?"

Lexi simply nodded and gave Brenda a reassuring smile before turning and following the rest of the girls on stage.

As the show wore on, Brenda was convinced something was very wrong. Lexi was slow on her cues, appeared shaky and simply not on her game.

Meanwhile, House was in the audience watching her and only her. Stacy couldn't help notice and she glared at him, noting the look of intrigue he wore. "Do you know her or something?" she whispered.

"Nope."

"You never look at me like that," she mumbled under her breath and took his hand in hers. It hadn't escaped her that he never took his eyes off a certain girl since the opening of the show and it bugged the hell out of her.

Lexi felt woozy all of a sudden. Standing there on the stage, wearing 5" heels and little else, she suddenly felt cold and clammy. She was hungry, that's all. She wanted to believe that. She didn't want to believe there could be anything else.

_Just hold it together_, she repeated in her head as she belted out the final chorus to the song she was singing. _Just another couple of minutes. Please..._

But her body had other ideas. The light headedness came on so fast she didn't even have time to think. She crumpled to the ground in a heap, smacking her head against the hard floor and stared into space. The hot lights shining down on her made everything around her to appear dark.

Then she was surrounded by nothing. Nothing but blackness.


	2. Destination Anywhere

_**A/N: You guys seemed to like chapter 1. So here's chapter 2. Thanks for reading/reviewing! :)**_

* * *

**Chapter 2**

_Summer, 1999_

"Someone get a doctor! Call the paramedics!" the stage manager shouted as a crowd began to gather. Meanwhile, House was out of his seat and on the stage immediately, pushing people aside before Stacy even realized what was going on.

"Anyone who's not a doctor, get out of the way," he grunted as he got down on the floor next to her and took a pen light out of his pocket.

"Who are you?"

House glared at the woman standing over them. "You asked for a doctor, I am one." He checked her pupils and took her pulse. It was racing. Her hair was in her eyes and without thinking, he gently smoothed it off her forehead. "What's her name?"

"Lexi."

"Hey, Lexi..." House said sharply as he gently slapped her cheek to get some kind of response, her skin was still cold and clammy to the touch. He grabbed onto her hand. "If you can you hear me, squeeze my hand."

He waited and thought he felt a faint squeeze.

He had his suspicions of course, but he couldn't be sure just yet if it was just a simple case of Hypoglycaemia or if something else more sinister was to blame.

The paramedics came swiftly and rushed her away to an ambulance while House began to follow them. Just then, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Greg? Where're you going?"

When he didn't have an answer right away, she scowled. "You _do_ know her," she said accusingly.

"I saw her in the show last time I was here," he shrugged, trying to show his nonchalance but failing miserably. "And, now that the show's over, I believe I promised you some birthday sex," he grinned as they walked out of the theatre.

Stacy suddenly forgot about the girl and turned her attention back to House. "Yes you did."

House lay awake in bed in the middle of the night as he thought about Lexi. Realizing he wasn't going to be able to sleep without checking in to see how she was doing, he carefully got up, careful not to wake Stacy, and left the bedroom.

Taking out his cell, he called the nearest hospital.

"United Hospital, how may I direct your call?"

"Hi, this is Dr. Gregory House. I need to inquire about a patient that was admitted to the ER..."

"One second please, Doctor," the switchboard operator told him and transferred him to another department.

"Triage."

"I'm not sure why I was directed here. This is Dr. House from Princeton Plainsboro. Someone by the name of Lexi was admitted a few hours ago, and..."

"Oh yes, she was released not too long ago, AMA."

House frowned. "AMA? Are you sure?"

"Yes, Doctor."

"Okay, thanks." He ended the call and flipped his phone shut. "Why would she have checked out? Better yet, why do I even care?"

_Because she's a puzzle. You know nothing about her and her little fainting spell has thrown you for a loop. Something doesn't add up._

House began to pace the room. Finding a pad and paper he began to write down her symptoms.

"She's a showgirl, super thin. She probably never eats. Hypoglycaemia explains the fainting, racing pulse, clammy skin..."

_So they probably gave her some IV fluids and once she felt better she asked to leave. No big deal._

"She could be a Type 1 diabetic and not even know it. If she keeps having these spells..."

"Greg?"

Stacy's voice brought House out of his internal DDX and he turned around to see her standing in the bedroom doorway, half asleep.

"Go back to bed. I'll be there soon."

"Thinking about the showgirl again?"

"Just...brainstorming."

"It's two a.m. You're not going to solve anything now. Come back to bed."

Sighing in resignation, House nodded and followed her back into the bedroom, Lexi still at the front of his mind.

X X X

_One and a half years__ later..._

"Lexi, I called you in here because frankly, I'm concerned."

Lexi sat rigid in the chair opposite her boss, Mr. Franklin. He was a nice man, fair, and she was his favorite. But he was also a serious businessman. He didn't like losing money.

"S-sir?" she asked, her voice quiet as a mouse.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to let you go. You've used up all your sick days for the year and you're just not performing up to the standards that you were when you first came here."

A single tear slipped down her cheek as he continued to talk, but she was no longer listening. She was panicking.

Franklin could see she was upset, and he felt horrible. He reached into his desk drawer and took out an envelope which he slid to her across the desk. "This is for you. It's not much, but please, I want you to have it. I'll mail your last paycheque. If you'd like a letter of recommendation I could certainly provide one. You're a very good performer, Lexi. I hate to lose you, but these are tough times now. I need girls who are dependable and frankly, you haven't been there when we really needed you."

"I understand," she whispered as she got up to leave. When she was gone, he noticed that she left the envelope behind. Grabbing it, he chased her outside and found her just leaving the lobby.

"Lexi, wait!"

She turned around slowly, her face streaked with tears. He gave her the envelope and covered her hand with both of his. "Good luck, sweetie."

"Th-thank you."

Lexi tuned out the whispering of her co-workers and began cleaning off her dressing table. Her vision was blurred with her hot tears but she sniffed them back and carried on. One by one, the girls came by with their well wishes and words of advice.

Some claimed they knew it was coming. Others suggested she try New York or Philly to work the bars there. Some even recommended checking out the other boardwalk casinos. But Lexi barely heard them. Last but not least, she took down her Mother's picture and placed it carefully on top of the pile before saying goodbye to a precious few. Then she grabbed her coat and left the building.

Lexi walked down the street in a daze, carrying her box. What was she going to do now? She had no job, hardly any money and she would probably be evicted within the month if she couldn't pay the rent. She opened the envelope and found $500 inside and the tears started flowing. She was going to miss Franklin. He was on the level. A class act.

Two months later found Lexi wandering the streets carrying with her everything she owned in a large backpack. She'd lasted longer than she thought she would, but she knew it was only a matter of time before the building manager threw her out.

It wasn't as if she didn't try to find work. She was literally pounding the pavement every day, only to be met with disappointment. Failed auditions, being passed over for younger girls. Times were tough. Even the major casinos were cutting back on dinner shows and their revues, hiring fewer girls. And at twenty-four, Lexi was considered a relic in the modeling business. She barely made it through the door before being turned away, even though she was in great shape.

She had no money whatsoever and she was starving. That sick, nauseous feeling was becoming more frequent, and she was beginning to worry. The last time she started to feel that way was when she passed out on stage from hypoglycaemic shock. She needed to eat, and soon.

There was clearly no point in hanging around Atlantic City any longer. She had no friends, no job and no home. It was time to move on. But where could she go? The only way she'd be able to get anywhere would be the old fashioned way, hitching a ride, and that was a worst case scenario. She didn't feel like becoming a poster girl for 1-800-MISSING.

"Hey sweetie!" a gruff voice called out to her, startling her. She whirled around to face an older man, a trucker. "You lost?"

"No."

"Hungry?"

She nodded.

"Need a ride somewhere?"

She nodded again.

"Look, I'm just gassing up the rig. If you can wait a few minutes I'll give you a lift. Where ya headed?"

"I...don't know."

"Well I'm going to Trenton."

"That w-would be great."

"When we get there I'll get you something to eat okay?"

She nodded but he could tell there was something not quite right with her. She was shaking, and maybe even a little sweaty. _Must be a druggie. Poor thing,_ he thought to himself.

Lexi wasn't sure what she was doing but she waited for him to finish re-fueling his rig and then she hopped into the cab.

The man, who told her to call him Biff, seemed like a nice man, albeit lonely. He told her about his wife that left him a year earlier and tried to ask her questions but she wouldn't answer.

"You don't talk much, do you?"

She shook her head.

"I like the shy ones."

She saw the signs for Princeton and wondered why he was taking that exit. The sun hadn't come up yet and she was nervous. Something wasn't right.

He pulled into an abandoned gas station and parked the truck. "If you want to go further, I need a little something."

"I don't have any money," she whispered, moving away from him. Unfortunately the cab was small so there was nowhere else to go. When she looked down she saw he already had his pants unzipped.

He grabbed her hair and pulled her closer to him, "I don't want money. I want that pretty mouth around my cock."

Finding the latch to unlock the door, she grabbed her bag, opened the door and hopped out. It was a long jump down, but it was certainly better than the alternative.

"Stupid bitch! You coulda been comin' instead of goin! Sooner or later you'll have to sell it!"

She watched him drive away, leaving her at the abandoned gas station. It was still dusk. She could see the lights of Princeton and realized she was not too far from the university. She decided, if anything, she could find a place to catch a nap on campus somewhere.

But she doubted she'd sleep. She knew she needed food soon. As she neared the campus, the sign for Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital came into view. She felt weak and sick. Perhaps someone there would be able to help her. If anything, they wouldn't be able to turn her away, whether she had any money or not. Taking a deep breath, she forged on ahead, the lights of the campus guiding her.

* * *

_**A/N: Just in case some of you might not know, AMA: Against Medical Advice.**_


	3. Poked and Prodded

**Chapter 3**

_March, 2001_

Lexi was shaking, sweaty and nauseous when she finally entered the busy clinic. She didn't know how much longer she'd last without some food in her. Usually she didn't make it to that stage. Even her ears were ringing, signifying that if she didn't get help very soon, she'd end up passed out on the white linoleum floor.

Finally, her name was called and she was whisked into exam room three where she waited another ten minutes until the door opened.

"Hi, I'm Dr. House," he began as he looked down at a blank file with just her name. "And you would be...Alexandra Vakakis. Vakakis...where have I heard that name?"

When he glanced up at her and their eyes met, she felt like she'd been hit by lightning. She remembered him from the dance club in Atlantic City.

"Lexi, right? Or at least, that's what they called you."

She nodded and that's when she noticed the cane and the limp as he made his way across the room, dragging the stool behind him so he could sit down. She was sure that he didn't have those things when she first saw him nearly two years ago. Clearly some things had changed.

"What brings you all the way out here?"

She didn't know what happened, or what set her off, but she broke down in tears and covered her face with her hands.

"Hey...what did I say?" he asked as he got up to get her a paper cup filled with water. "Here, drink this."

"I'm...s-sorry. I don't know w-what's wrong with me."

"Roll up your sleeve," he instructed as he grabbed a blood pressure cuff. She did as he instructed and he took her blood pressure. It was sky high. "Lexi...you need to calm down," he said in his calmest voice.

"I..I'm so hungry...I don't have any money, n-no insurance..."

"This is a free clinic, you know that, right?"

She shook her head. "It doesn't s-solve the fact that I don't have a p-pot to piss in."

Dr. House began writing. "When was the last time you ate?"

"L-last night."

"Okay. Tell you what. I'm going to order some blood work. And once we get the results I'll take you to the cafeteria and buy you breakfast. Ever had a Glucose Tolerance test?"

Lexi shook her head. It didn't sound promising. "W-what is it for?"

"It tells me if you're hypoglycemic and if you're in danger of becoming a diabetic. I'm going to give you a super sweet orange soda-like concoction to drink, take a vial of blood, and in an hour I'm going to take your blood again. I'm also going to order a few other standard tests. I'll send a nurse in here. Make yourself comfortable. You're going to be here awhile."

X X X

She was very weak and shaky by the end of the test and House was concerned. He'd seen that kind of reaction in patients after the three hour test but not after a mere hour. As soon as the final labs were drawn, he had some crackers on hand to give her and a carton of milk to drink before they headed to the cafeteria to eat.

She ate like a starving woman, even though he told her to eat slower or she'd be sick. After she'd eaten a full breakfast, she had most of her color back and was beginning to look and feel much better.

"So what happened?" House asked her as she sat there digesting her meal.

"I l-lost my job because I w-was sick all the time. I saved some m-money but it's all been spent." House looked at her, studying her. She was young, probably in her early to mid-twenties. Her olive skin only accentuated her green eyes and jet black hair. She was certainly striking, and he'd seen her body so he knew what the rest of her looked like.

"And what are your plans?"

"Go to N-New York, try and find a job there."

He pulled out his wallet and handed her his card. "Just in case you need it," he explained. Then he pulled out a wad of bills and shoved them in front of her.

She shook her head. "I can't..."

"Yes you can. You want to eat, don't you? Do you _like_ feeling nauseous and crappy all the time? If I didn't know better I'd think you were a druggie looking for your next fix. If I were a cop that's exactly what I'd think and I'd probably run you in. So just take it. I know it's hard to accept handouts, but you need to eat. Some things are more important than your pride. Okay?"

She nodded and stuffed the money in her pocket just as his pager went off. "Results are in. Wait here."

House went to the lab, got the results, looked them over and he wasn't surprised. She would need the more in depth glucose tolerance test which took three hours.

He found her busing her tray in the cafeteria and motioned for her to follow him. "I'm admitting you."

Lexi stopped dead in her tracks. "What? W-why?"

"Your results weren't bad, but they weren't good, either. I want to do the three hour glucose test and you need to fast for that one too. So we'll keep you overnight and do the test in the morning."

She began to protest immediately and he wondered why. "I don't..."

He put his hand up to silence her. "Yeah, yeah, you don't have any money, I know. But don't worry. This test is on the state of New Jersey. Look at it this way, at least you'll get lunch and dinner and a place to sleep tonight. It could be worse."

X X X

"_It could be worse,"_ Lexi heard his voice in her head as she lay in her bed and stared at the ceiling.

_I don't see how anything could be worse than this! _

Ever since she saw her mother's dead body in the hospital room the day she died, Lexi did everything in her power to stay away from hospitals. They gave her the creeps. The odd quiet at night, the dark hallways. People sick, some waiting to die. The smell of death.

She never forgot the smell of the Palliative care ward where her Mother spent the last few months of her life.

_I've got to get out of here!_ She reached for her pants and found the money Dr. House had given her. There was easily six hundred dollars there. More than she first thought there was. Why he carried so much money on him was beyond her comprehension. She figured there was enough for a bus ticket to New York and a week's worth of food and shelter. Hopefully she'd be able to find a job quickly and get back on her feet again. After all, Atlantic City was just a small corner of the world. New York was huge. Surely she could find something, even if it meant washing dishes. Beggars couldn't be choosers, after all.

Glancing around, she didn't see anyone so she grabbed her clothes and got dressed in the bathroom. When the coast was clear, she made her escape.

X X X

The phone rang bright and early the next day, waking House with a start. Eyes still closed, he grabbed the cordless handset.

"House."

"This is Nurse Brenda. I thought you admitted Alexandra Vakakis yesterday for the three hour GTT this morning."

"I did. What's the problem?"

"She's gone, House. When the orderly came in to take her to the lab, she wasn't in her bed. There's no trace of her and nobody saw her leave."

House groaned and hung up. "Son of a bitch!"

* * *

_**A/N: House is not happy! I'm glad you guys seem to be liking this. Lots more to come!  
**_


	4. Momma's Fallen Angel

**Chapter 4**

She stepped off the bus, out into the city streets. Her stomach was growling so she went across the street to a cafe and had lunch. As she ate, Lexi thought about Dr. House and how kind he'd been. She felt bad for skipping out, but she just couldn't stand being in that hospital any longer. Hopefully he wouldn't be too upset. Besides, it wasn't as if she was going to see him again. There were plenty of other doctors around and she didn't have to go back to PPTH to get treated by him. She opened her wallet and examined his business card. _Dr. Gregory House, M.D. Infectious Diseases, Nephrology._ And there were a couple of phone numbers, an email and a fax number.

Normally she would have just tossed it, but she put it back in her wallet as a memento. Somehow she knew the handsome blue eyed doctor wouldn't be so quick to leave her mind and that wasn't such a bad thing. His kindness and generosity towards her would leave her with a warm feeling on cold nights if nothing else.

Two weeks later, Lexi was at the end of her rope, and her cash. She'd found a seedy apartment to stay in but it was quickly draining her resources, even if it was only $250/week.

She went to a different club every night, asking for any kind of work she could get. It always ended up the same way. They'd tell her she was certainly young enough and pretty enough to wait tables or even dance, but when she opened her mouth and began stuttering, they gave her the brush-off, citing one excuse after another. She couldn't make them understand that she couldn't help it, and would point out that she wouldn't need to speak if she were dancing. But a lot of the clubs gave "extras" to their customers, and were concerned the men wouldn't take her seriously if she couldn't even ask if they wanted a lap dance without stumbling over her words. "It would make you sound like an amateur," she was told.

Then she met Xavier. He was a very attractive Hispanic man, with tanned skin, nice muscles and an amazing smile. He reminded her of Antonio Sabato Jr. whom she had a crush on as a teen.

He gave her some food, some money and promised to look out for her. He also promised her an audition at his friends' club in the city.

"You're so beautiful. How old are you, Lexi?"

"Twenty-six."

"Wow. You look younger. That's good though. Guys like girls who look young. You'll make some good tips."

Lexi's face brightened up. "Y-you think so?"

"Totally. We need to go shopping and get you an audition outfit. Then I'll take you to Tony's. Ever danced before?"

"I w-was a showgirl in Atlantic city for three years."

Xavier looked shocked, and then pleased. "Nice. Why did you leave?"

"I got s-sick and m-missed too m-many days."

He seemed to accept that and she thought the interview was going well. Only one thing could make it or break it.

"Do you always stutter so much?"

And there it was. Lexi frowned and began gathering her stuff to leave..

"Hey, where are you going?" he asked her.

"I'm going b-before you t-tell me I'll never m-make it as a dancer b-because I stutter."

"I never said that. Besides, when you're dancing you're not talking. And even then, I doubt anyone would care. Come on, I was just curious. It's fine, really. In fact, these might help," he said as he held up a vial of pills and rattled them.

"What's that?"

"Valium. A friend of mine stutters much worse than you and it helps her. She takes one and you'd never know she ever stuttered. It might help relax you for auditions too."

She looked warily at him but reached out and took the offered pill. "I don't w-want a pimp. If you think you're going to whore me out to whoever you w-want then forget it."

Xavier laughed. "Again, you're jumping to conclusions. I know the goods when I see the goods."

"You've n-never seen me dance!" she said, incredulously.

"No that's true, but you are beautiful and if you were a showgirl then you must have talent. Unless of course you're lying in order to get your foot in the door."

Her jaw dropped. "W-why would I do that? W-what would I have to gain?"

He sat back in his chair and regarded her with curiosity. "I don't know. You tell me."

"I just w-want a chance to prove myself. I can get a l-letter of reference if you want. M-my old boss, Mr. Franklin w-would be more than happy to..."

"I doubt that will be necessary. Tony never asks for references. What about this illness you spoke of? Would it be an issue with work?"

"As l-long as I eat, I'm fine. I get...hypo..glycaemia if I don't."

He nodded. "Well, let's take you shopping like I promised and go see Tony. I think he'll like you."

Lexi nodded and let him take her to Bloomingdales. How or where he got his money, she didn't know. She was just happy to get a chance at a job. She missed working, and entertaining.

True to his word, Xavier took Lexi to a posh nightclub in Manhattan where Tony allowed her to audition. The Valium she'd taken had worked wonders both with her self confidence and stuttering. He was truly impressed and offered her a job on the spot with a decent salary to start.

"Of course, there are extra ways to make more tips. We do lap dances here and if a guy pays enough..._other_ services. But you can always refuse if you're not comfortable. Have you ever given a lap dance before?"

Lexi shook her head. "I'm a quick learner."

Tony and Xavier exchanged glances and Xavier nodded at her with a wink. She was in.

X X X

Xavier had a potential goldmine with Lexi working at Tony's. The customers loved her and she turned out to be an exceptional dancer and performer on stage. The only issue was she would only give lap dances, nothing else, regardless of how much she was offered. It was an upscale part of town, and the men had money to spend, but she clearly wasn't interested in going that extra mile.

He realized he was going to have to do something. If she was going to go far at that club, she'd have to learn to suck it up and take one for the team. None of the other girls had a problem with it.

He needed some new clothes himself. The customers were somehow under the impression that he was her "pimp" and although he didn't confirm or deny, he realized he should at least look the part.

She loved to shop so he took her with him, hoping he could talk to her about the extra benefits and as he stood in front of the mirror in an Armani suit, she sat back and yawned.

"Bored?" He asked her, still admiring himself.

"No."

"Tired?"

"Yes."

"I don't see how. You don't stay out late like the other girls."

"That's because they're off screwing the men in the back lounge. I'm not. But it is tiring to wait tables _and_ dance."

"What if you got more money to just dance and not wait tables? Would that help?"

"That would be nice," she nodded.

"You realize of course that those guys like you a lot. And they're offering you good money to make them happy. Why don't you?"

"I'm not a whore."

"Who said anything about being a whore? It's Manhattan, not the Bronx. These guys have tons of cash and they want to spend it on you. You should be flattered. Tony runs a class joint."

"Yeah. I've heard about how classy it is," she scoffed. "The girls have to give him half of what the guys give them. It's a joke."

"What if I were to tell you that because you're with me, you wouldn't have to pay Tony anything?"

Lexi just laughed. "No. You'd expect me to give it to you. Nice try, Xav. I told you before. I don't want a pimp."

Xavier was beyond pissed. He'd had enough of her attitude. He glanced around and when he didn't see anyone, he grabbed the back of her neck, picked her up and slammed her against the change room wall. "Listen to me, you little bitch," he hissed in her ear, ignoring her whimpers, "you'd be nothing without me. If it weren't for me, you'd be selling your sweet ass in the projects for next to nothing. I got you where you are and you'd better be grateful. You're not irreplaceable. One word from Tony and he'd kick your ass to the curb in a heartbeat. You want that?"

When she didn't answer, he pushed her harder against the wall. "Answer me!"

"No."

"From now on, you do what I tell you, and you will if you know what's good for you. You're the hottest piece of ass this side of Manhattan and we're going to make a lot of money off you. Now, you can do it the easy way or the hard way. And I don't think you're going to like the hard way. So, I suggest you get with the program and give these guys what they want. Or you're going to be out on the street with nothing. Because you are nothing. Oh yeah, that free coke I've been giving you? Gone. The valium to stop your pathetic stuttering? Forget it. I'll cut you off so fast you'll learn what pain of withdrawl really is. And nobody will want to help you. Understand?"

"Yes."

"Gonna do what I say?"

Lexi closed her eyes as the tears began to fall. "Yes."

"Good girl. Now go sit over there until I'm done. Then maybe, just maybe, we'll take a coke break."

X X X

_Six months later..._

Lexi was in hell. If Xavier wasn't beating her up for turning down a customer then Tony was punishing her by forcing her to give him blow jobs in his office.

How she had gotten herself in this position, she still didn't know. She was high half the time and didn't care one way or another what was going on. She'd go home to her roach infested apartment and cry herself to sleep each night and pray for a God she didn't believe in to save her.

She learned pretty fast that He worked in mysterious ways.

It was a cold October night. The club was packed for a Tuesday, but Tony's recent "Two dollar Tuesdays" caught on fast. Two dollar beers were a steal and it brought in some less favorable clientele.

The girls were worked twice as hard to keep up, and Lexi was exhausted.

However, it was either a good thing or a bad thing, she wasn't sure which, when the Feds came in and raided the place. Everyone was arrested and dragged downtown for booking.

Aside from Tony's tax evasion, which was the main reason he was raided in the first place, it turned out that a lot of the girls were under eighteen, so he and AJ were charged with racketeering and pandering, underage prostitution and solicitation. They threw the book at both of them. The young girls were sent home and Lexi spent the night in the drunk tank for being so strung out she didn't even know her own name.

* * *

_**A/N:Yeah this chapter was a little angsty, but it had to be done. There are good times ahead I promise :) Thanks for reading!**_


	5. Somebody Save Me

**Chapter 5**

_August, 2001_

The phone rang in the middle of the night, but House was dead to the world so he didn't hear the machine pick up in the other room.

"You've reached a number that has been disconnected and is no longer in service. If you feel you've reached this recording in error, go with it. Hang up. On three: One, two..."

"Dr. House, this is Lieutenant Grey over at Manhattan P.D. We picked up a young lady by the name of Alexandra Vakakis, downtown and found your business card. If you could please call us back and let us know what you want us to do with her, it would be greatly appreciated." He left a number and extension before hanging up, and House slept through it.

X X X

House had no idea what he was in for when he agreed to drive into the city to claim Lexi. He supposed he was glad they called him and didn't just turn her loose into the dregs of society. Although from the sounds of it, that's where she came from. He knew about Tony's club. He'd been there a couple of times in the past and it used to be a decent establishment, known for its young girls, cheap booze and upper class clientele. Clearly, the place had gone downhill, or Tony just got sloppy.

"She's in one of the interrogation rooms," Grey told him as House followed him through the precinct. "She had a bit of a rough night in the tank so we got her out and put her in here until you came. It will be easier for you to talk to her in here than on the other side of iron bars."

"I appreciate that."

Grey opened the door and at first House didn't see anyone. He took a step into the room and then he saw her. She was sitting at the table with her head down, using her arms as a pillow.

"Alexandra," Grey called to her, causing her to jump, but she didn't lift her head up. "Someone's come to get you. Wake up."

She looked up, and what House saw made his heart break. She was not the girl he saw several months ago. She looked like a completely different person. Her once beautiful dark hair was dull and limp, her eyes were sunken in and she looked like she'd lost a considerable amount of weight. She looked emaciated and drugged out of her mind and House wondered what she was strung out on.

"W-what's he doing here?" she demanded, and put her head back down, cradling it on her arm.

"We found his card when we searched you. He's come to pick you up."

She lifted her head again. "You m-must be joking. I don't n-need anyone to s-save me."

"From the looks of it I'd say you do." Then House looked at Grey and he nodded, stepping out of the room. "What the hell happened?" he demanded, raising his voice just a little. "Why did you leave the hospital?"

"I don't l-like hospitals," she said, sullenly.

House rolled his eyes. "Is that all? If you didn't want to stay overnight you should've said so. We could've worked something out. You could have gone home and come back the next day. The reason I admitted you was because you looked like you'd missed too many meals and I wasn't sure if you even had a place to stay. So forgive me for looking out for you."

"I n-never asked you to!" she spat.

"Well you're in a pickle now. What do you plan to do next? You have no job. Your employer and your pimp are in the clink…"

"He's not m-my pimp, asshole!"

House arched an eyebrow at her and she backed off. "And where are you living?"

"Downtown."

"Uh-huh. Not for much longer I suspect, what with no job and no money."

"I'll manage."

"Not at the rate you're going. I don't want to see you end up dead in a ditch somewhere or in the county morgue." House grabbed her wrist and took her pulse. It was racing. "Your pulse is racing."

"B-because I'm pissed off! W-why did you even come d-down here?"

"They called me. I guess they figured we knew each other since you kept my business card. Several months ago I would've thought we knew each other. Not now. I don't even know who you are."

"You n-never did, Dr. House."

"Call me Greg. And there's only one thing left to do now."

"W-what's that?"

"You're coming home with me. I'm going to find out what the hell it is you're strung out on, get you into rehab, and then, once you've cleaned up your act, I'm going to get you a job. I'll get you straightened out if it kills me."

"Why do you care w-what happens to me?"

House threw his hands up in despair. "I don't know! But I did take an oath to do no harm, and I'm not just going to sit back and let you go back into the city with nothing to go back to. So you can come with me back to Princeton, or you can stay here until they get sick of you and throw you back out in the street. What's it gonna be?"

Lexi sighed and shook her head. "Fine! I'll go. But d-don't expect m-me to put out. I'm n-not your whore!"

House really hated that word, and it was all he could do to contain himself from lashing back at her. He placed his hands on the table and leaned over her, getting in her face. Her eyes, which he remembered as being violet, were now amazingly green and for a second he was hypnotized by them. But then he blinked and broke the spell.

"I don't ever want to hear you call yourself that again. Understand?"

She nodded and swallowed hard. His air of authority was clearly working. The door opened and Grey poked his head in. "Are you done?"

"Yeah. We're done. She's coming with me."

X X X

"This is y-your c-car?" Lexi stammered as she stared at the classic 1966 Ford Galaxie with amazement.

"Yep," House said as he unlocked the passenger side door and opened it for her to get in.

She hesitated before climbing in and buckling up.

House didn't speak right away and Lexi was grateful for the silence. She'd had some strung-out whacko in the cell with her for most of the night, running her mouth off about Jesus and other religious claptrap. So she was more than grateful when they put her in the interrogation room.

"Hungry?" House finally asked her.

"No."

"Thirsty?"

"A l-little. My s-stomach hurts..."

House glanced at her and she looked a little green.

"Are you going to be sick?"

Lexi nodded and he pulled the car off to the side of the road quickly. She already had her belt unbuckled by the time the car stopped and she opened the door and threw up on the side of the road for several minutes.

When she was finished, House handed her a bottle of water he'd bought at the station and she sipped from it.

She missed her endless supply of Valium. Hell, she missed her coke, too. Then it dawned on her. House was a doctor. He could write her a prescription.

"Can you w-write me a p-prescription for Valium?"

House stopped at a red light and stared at her. "What the hell for?"

"It helps w-with m-my stuttering."

House shook his head and closed his eyes and she wondered what the big deal was. From what she understood, Valium was no big deal. Everyone took it for different reasons. Xavier would take it to help him sleep.

"How long have you been taking it?"

"S-since I l-left Princeton that w-one time."

"And how many have you been taking?"

"F-four or five."

House's eyes widened. "A day?"

Lexi nodded, not liking where the conversation was going, and she wished she'd never said anything at all.

"What else have you been taking?"

When she didn't answer, House quickly glared at her. "Well?"

"Coke," she said in a soft voice.

"Jesus Christ," House hissed. He didn't know what else to say after that. Luckily there wasn't much traffic and Lexi wasn't sick again. Right away, she asked if she could have a nap and he showed her to his bed. As she lay there, drifting off to sleep she wondered about him. They barely knew each other, and it seemed awkward, but she was grateful that he was going out of his way to help her. It had been a long time since anyone had shown her the compassion that he had. She just hoped she wouldn't screw things up.

X X X

House paced his apartment while she slept. He didn't know what to do with her. She was obviously in need of some sort of rehab. He couldn't simply check her into the PPTH rehab, because she'd probably take off. He'd need to keep her under constant supervision without alerting anyone to what he was doing. Which meant he'd have to take her somewhere else, away from distractions so it would just be the two of them.

The first thing he did was call Cuddy and let her know he was taking some of his vacation time. He figured a month would do to start with. He had tons of time saved up and she was always bugging him to take it.

Once that was done, he went online to search for rehab centers. Scrolling down the list, he caught the name of someone he'd gone to Michigan State with, who now ran a posh rehab clinic in the Poconos.

Grabbing the phone, he called and got a direct line.

"_Seth Michaels."_

"Seth, Greg House."

"_Hey, House. What can I do for you? Long time no see."_

"Yeah. Listen, Seth, I have a problem."

"_What's up?"_

House explained his issue with Lexi, the facts as he knew them and Seth was more than helpful in suggesting what to do.

"_There's a cabin __on the premises. The greens keeper stays there in early summer so it's empty now. If you stay there, I could make sure you get the meds you need to get her back on track. Since if what you say is true and she'll take off if you admit her to the actual clinic."_

"I'm more than certain she would. But she seems to trust me enough to let me help her. You'd be doing me a huge favour."

"_Hey man, I owe you one. You saved my ass at Michigan. We'll get it figured out. When are you coming?"_

"I'm not sure. I need to tie up some loose ends before we come out there. I don't know the severity of her addiction or how long she's been taking this stuff, but she's definitely suffering some kind of withdrawl either from the Valium or the coke. Or both. If she gets worse tonight I might just pack her up and bring her before morning."

"_No problem. See you when you get here. And bring some warm clothes. It gets chilly at night."_

"Gotcha. See ya then."

House hung up and cleaned the guest room for Lexi to sleep that night. When that was done, he grabbed a beer and looked in on her. She was sound asleep, sprawled across his bed clutching the comforter up to her chin.

She looked so young and so vulnerable. He thought about their conversation earlier that day at the Precinct as it repeated in his mind.

He did care what happened to her. Ever since he saw her at the casino in Atlantic city he was immediately drawn to her. She had an energy, a presence that was very alluring. Never mind the fact that she was strikingly beautiful and had a singing voice to match.

It was enough to make him go back and see her a second time. When she collapsed on stage she became a mystery to him. All the more when she left the hospital AMA.

He thought he heard something so he went to investigate. She was shivering and clutching her stomach. He grabbed the waste basket, shoved a garbage bag in it and placed it just in time.

He felt her skin. It was cold and clammy as she wretched a second time. "Come on, I've got the guest room set up for you. I'll give you one of my old shirts to sleep in tonight."

"W-why are you b-being so n-nice to m-me?" she moaned as she let him guide her across the hall.

"It's part of the Hippocratic Oath. Lie down. I'll be right back."

He dumped the garbage bag and put a fresh one in the waste basket, then got her some water and an old button down shirt. "If you need anything else just wake me up."

"Okay. Th-thanks, Greg. F-for everything."

"Don't thank me yet. Just try and relax."

House went back to his bedroom and began tossing clothes into his small suitcase. She was going to need some medical attention that he couldn't give her. Once he had his clothes packed and a small duffel bag for her, he took them out to the car and came back inside. He searched his cupboards and all he could find was some Dramamine for motion sickness. It would have to do. Providing she could keep it down long enough for it to kick in. He limped into the guest room and found her sipping the water.

"Here, think you can keep this down?"

"W-what is it?"

"Dramamine. It should help with the nausea."

She took it and swallowed it with some water. Twenty minutes later, when it seemed she was able to keep it down, she began to get sleepy.

"We're going to go for a drive. It's stuffy in here. You can wear one of my jackets."

"W-where're w-we going?" she mumbled as she let him help her with the leather jacket.

"Don't worry about it. You can sleep in the car."

House and Lexi walked slowly out of the apartment, comforter wrapped around her. He stopped to lock everything up, and then put her in the back seat so she could stretch out and sleep.

His cell phone was vibrating in his pocket but he ignored it. No doubt it was Wilson wondering where he was. House didn't have time to stop and explain himself. His first priority was getting Lexi to Pocono Pines Rehab Center. He had a feeling it was going to be a long night.


	6. They Tried To Make Me Go to Rehab

_**A/N: Huh, not too many people reading this weekend. That's okay. Here's another chapter anyway, since I'm ahead a bit :) Enjoy!**_

* * *

**Chapter 6**

August, 2001

House speed dialled Seth and told him he was on his way, and Seth promised to have everything ready for him at the cabin when he arrived.

A couple of hours later, just past midnight, House drove through the gates and up to the cabin beyond the facility. It was right on a lake, and within walking distance to the main building.

Seth was waiting outside with two orderlies, who helped carry Lexi inside. At first she was unresponsive, but once placed on the bed, she quickly became panicked.

"W-what's g-going on? G-Greg? Greg!" she called out, her voice raspy from having just woken up.

"Relax. It's fine. You're safe," he said in the most soothing voice he could muster.

"W-where are we? W-what is this?"

"Lexi," Seth said calmly. "You're going to be fine. Just relax. You're at a retreat. I'm a friend of Greg's and we're going to take care of you. Everything's going to be fine."

"H-who are you? G-greg? Who is that? Who are they?"

House limped across the room and very discretely grabbed a syringe full of Ativan from Seth.

"Lexi," he said, sitting on the side of the bed, "this is a rehab facility. I brought you here to get you cleaned up. This is Seth, a friend of mine from med school. He's a good guy. You can trust him, just like you trust me. Nobody is going to hurt you."

"W-what about them?" she demanded, pointing at the orderlies who watched her from the doorway.

"They're the ones that helped you from the car. They won't hurt you, I promise."

"I w-wanna g-get outta here," she said as she sat up and slapped House's hand away. "Th-this w-wasn't part of the d-deal."

"Yes it was. I told you I was going to get you cleaned up. What did you think I meant? When you agreed to let me take you home from the police station yesterday what did you think I was going to do? Write you a script for Valium and continue to be your connection?"

"Y-yes...actually!"

"Think again. I'm not your enabler. You're going to stay here and get clean. I'm going to stay here with you."

"No w-way! I'm not s-staying!" she screamed as she got up from the bed and backed herself up against the wall. The orderlies advanced and she grabbed the nearest thing she could find, a lamp, and threw it at them.

Seth gave them a look and they retreated. Lexi was so busy watching Seth and the orderlies that she didn't notice House bite the cap off the syringe and stick it into her hip.

"W-what the..." she shouted and then her eyelids became heavy. Seth and House caught her and the orderlies put her back into bed.

X X X

House stood on the porch looking out at the nearby lake. It was a chilly morning, and a mist had settled on the surface of the water. It was calm and quiet, just like glass. The loons calling in the distance made everything so peaceful and tranquil.

Of course, House knew that his day would be anything but peace and tranquility. Once Lexi woke from her Ativan-induced slumber, all hell would break loose again.

Seth had a male nurse sit with her in case she needed anything, giving House a chance to catch up on sleep.

The cabin was quite nice, made completely from logs. There were two bedrooms, one large bathroom with a tub and shower, a decent sized kitchen, and a large living room with a wood burning fireplace and windows all around. French doors led outside to a large porch with several chairs and below was a private dock with a motorboat.

The cabin itself wasn't very well insulated and the floors were freezing. The male nurse, whose name was Joe, tossed some kindling into a wood stove which quickly warmed the place up.

House came back inside and started some coffee. He doubted Lexi would want to eat or drink anything but the place was well stocked. It brought a smile to House's face as he thought back to his friend Seth, and the fun they'd had at Michigan State.

Seth was a party animal and one year older than House. He'd actually introduced House to Cuddy back then, otherwise known as "Party Pants." House ended up helping him study for exams because Seth was too out of it to remember to study himself. He was in danger of being expelled if he didn't pull his grades up and House helped him get his act together.

"She's asking for you," Joe said softly, breaking House out of his reverie.

"Thanks. Go tell Seth I'm ready to begin. He'll know what I mean."

"No problem."

Once Joe was gone, House stood in the doorway of Lexi's room and proceeded with caution.

"W-what happened? M-my head hurts," she groaned.

"It's been a long night. How do you feel?"

"L-like crap."

"Are you hungry?"

"No."

"Feel okay?"

"For n-now. W-where are we?"

"We're in the Poconos. I need you to cooperate, Lexi. The sooner you do that, the sooner you can be out of here."

Lexi wasn't sure whether to believe him or not. After all, he said nobody was going to hurt her and then he jammed a needle into her. Obviously he had his reasons but it didn't help with the trust issues.

"House?" A strange voice called out to them.

House stepped into the room and placed his hand on her shoulder. Oddly, it seemed to calm her immediately.

"Relax," he said softly. "It's just Seth. He's my friend, and he's here to help you."

Seth came down the hall and stopped in the doorway. "Hi, Lexi. Good morning."

"Hi," she whispered.

"Do you remember me? We met last night."

She nodded and watched as he took a seat across from her and pulled out a notebook. "Lexi, I need you to be brutally honest with me. It will allow us to help you that much better. Understand?"

Again, she nodded but didn't speak.

"I need you to tell me all the drugs you've taken in the last six months."

"Valium and c-coke. That's it as far as I n-know."

Seth nodded. "Okay good."

He asked her a lot of in depth questions, and she answered them to the best of her ability, making House happy that she was cooperating.

"You've done great, Lexi. I'm going to get you started on a few meds that will help you. One is for the cocaine and another is for the Valium."

"W-will they make m-me sick?"

"Hmm, they might. I can give you something for that if it's too bothersome. You need to eat, keep your strength up. The first week or two you'll probably just want to sleep, and that's fine. Every day I'll send someone over to talk with you. I think we can have you out of here in a month at the most. Would you like that?"

Lexi actually smiled, but she didn't want to get her hopes up too high. Not yet.

"Th-that w-would be nice."

"Great. I'll send the meds over right away and Joe will be here to help you. House is also going to be here. You're in good hands, Lexi, I promise. You haven't been hooked very long and that's why I think I can have you out of here so soon. As long as you take your meds, and cooperate, everything will run smoothly. Are you with us?"

She nodded and smiled again. "I'll try."

"Excellent."

X X X

Lexi woke up feeling almost normal. It had been two weeks since she'd come to the cabin and she had to admit, she felt pretty good. The drug regimen Seth had her on seemed to be working, and hadn't made her sick, allowing her to have an appetite.

The therapist, Dr. Liz Stone, came every day to talk to her for an hour about whatever she wanted and they hit it off from the start. It wasn't enough that Liz was so easy going, but she was also a licensed speech therapist and proved to be a damn good one.

"You look good today, Lexi," Liz smiled at her.

"Thanks."

"Did you want to try some of those speech techniques we talked about the other day?"

Lexi nodded eagerly. "It's n-not all l-letters. Just certain o-ones."

"Okay we'll start with those."

She spent an hour going over some helpful tips and techniques on how to say the words with the letters that Lexi had issues with the most. Surprisingly, there weren't that many.

"Practice that, and we'll see if it's working for you. If not, I have a couple other things we might try."

When the hour was up, Liz returned to the center and Lexi went out onto the porch. The sun was shining and it was warm. The boat was missing and she looked out onto the lake to see Greg rowing it. It was something he enjoyed and she liked watching him, in spite of herself. He had such broad shoulders and a muscular upper body.

A few days later, she and Liz caught a glimpse of him coming out of the shower wearing nothing but a towel.

"You like him, don't you, Lexi?" Liz inquired knowingly.

"Yes."

"A lot?"

She nodded. "He's the only..." she took a deep breath and let it out along with the word she wanted to say, "guy who's been really...nice to me."

Liz smiled. "You've been doing those exercises. That's great."

"I sound...like I'm trying...not to hyperventilate," she laughed.

Liz chuckled. "You'll get over that soon enough. After awhile you won't even have to stop and think about it. It'll just come easily."

"I hope...you're right."

"So tell me. Where did you meet Dr. House?"

"Atlantic City. I...was a showgirl. It...sounds corny but...we literally...locked eyes across a...crowded room."

Liz nodded, urging her to continue.

"He...came to my show that night and then...we danced at a bar. I didn't...see him for a...long time after that. At least a year. Then he had the cane. I...still don't...know the story...behind it. I...lost my job...came to Princeton and he was the...doctor on duty in the clinic. I...was suffering hypoglycemia and he ordered...some tests. But I...really hate hospitals so I took off and...went to New York to find...work. And the rest, as they say, is history."

"I see. Well I think he cares about you a great deal. He took you off the streets and brought you here. I don't know him but that was a very selfless act."

"He's a...sweetie, even if he...claims he isn't."

"I can believe that. I guess you need to ask yourself if you think a relationship with him is something you want."

"I've...never had a real relationship...with anyone before. Xavier...was the only one who...was nice to me at first. Then he just...got mean."

"What about your family?"

Lexi's expression changed immediately and Liz could tell it was a sensitive topic with her. "What about them?"

"Are you in touch at all?"

"No. My Mom died...when I was a teenager and my stepfather was horrible. His kids w-were mean to me too. They m-made fun of me b-because I stuttered so bad. Oh God...I'm d-doing it again..." she covered her face with her hands and shook her head.

"It's okay. You're worked up. That's normal. We'll work on it, okay? Don't worry. I can get you to stop stuttering, but when you're upset or nervous, it will probably come back once in awhile. It happens to the best of us. I doubt Dr. House cares about your stuttering."

"It was m-my stuttering that got m-me in this mess. Xavier g-gave me Valium because he said it w-would stop it. And it did."

Liz waited for several minutes before Lexi calmed down before she spoke again.

"Do you like to sing?"

"I sang...when I was a showgirl."

"And you didn't stutter then, did you?"

"No."

"That's because it's all about how you breathe. I've heard of people who stutter a lot worse than you, but when they sang you'd never know it."

"So I should...start singing again?"

"It couldn't hurt. They have karaoke at the facility on weekends. You should go. I think we can get you to stop stuttering all together. Your problem is that you did it for so long without getting help and it just got worse. So we'll work on it. Not every day, but often enough." She looked at her watch. "Our time is up. I'll see you on Monday."

"Thanks."

X X X

House came up the path from the dock, using his cane for leverage, and spotted the doctor leaving. She smiled at him as they passed each other. "Dr. House," she said with a nod.

"Dr. Stone. How is she today?"

"She seemed in good spirits."

"Good."

"Any plans this weekend?"

House cocked his head to one side. "We're kind of limited. She can't exactly go anywhere."

"No, but this is a big place. Lots to see. You should do something fun."

"What are you getting at?"

Liz merely smiled. "I think she's bored. Just sitting on the porch in the sun isn't enough."

House smirked. "Are you telling me she has cabin fever?"

"That's a pretty good assessment. Have you two talked much?"

He shook his head. "She's hardly spoken to me since we got here. I know her stuttering is a big issue for her. I've told her that it doesn't bother me but she's not convinced."

"Keep trying. She'll open up. Anyway, I have to get going. Have a good weekend."

"Thanks."

House went inside and found Lexi at the kitchen sink washing her hair, but he could see she was having problems. The sink wasn't very big and the tap was virtually useless.

"You still have some shampoo in your hair," he pointed out as he limped over. "Here...let me do it."

Lexi hesitantly put her head back under the faucet and House worked at rinsing the remaining shampoo out of her hair. He couldn't get over how soft it was, or how thick. He wondered how it would feel between his fingers when it was dry and hanging loose over her shoulders.

When he was satisfied her hair was clean, he turned off the tap and handed her the towel. When she took it from him, their hands touched and he looked down at her. Her green eyes were bright once again and he preferred that color to the fake violet she had when they first met. Against her olive complexion, they were an amazing shade of emerald.

"Thanks," she said softly as she took the towel and began drying her hair with it.

He went into the fridge to get himself a Coke, and offered one to her, which she took. "You're welcome. So, what do you want to do this weekend?"

She cocked her head to one side. He could see she was thinking of what to say, she opened her mouth to speak and then took a deep breath. "What is there?"

"Whatever you want."

"Dr. Stone said they do karaoke at the clinic on...weekends."

House nodded, but failed to keep the smile from his face. She hadn't stuttered, and it seemed like she was making a conscious effort not to. He was thrilled for her.

"We could check that out. I miss your singing."

Lexi looked utterly shocked at that. "You do?"

"Yeah. You were amazing in Atlantic City. I'm surprised nobody's approached you with a record contract by now."

She blushed and stared down at the floor. "Stop. I'm...not that good."

"Yes you are. I'll bet you'll clean house. No pun intended," he grinned.

"It's...been a long time."

"Singing is like riding a bike. You never forget."

Lexi giggled and shook her head. "...Nice to know you have faith in me."

House stared at the floor as he tapped his cane against it a couple of times. "I always have."


	7. Getting To Know You

_**A/N: Sorry about the delay. My sister flew in from Montreal on Friday so I've been doin the sister thing and spending more $$ than I have. Damn those leather stores with their 1/2 price sales! I will share this info with you. I AM A LEATHER WHORE. Okay, now that's out of my system, read on, kiddies :)**_

**Chapter 7**

_August, 2001_

It was a cold night in the cabin and the loons calling each other before the first rumble of thunder could even be heard.

"There's a...storm coming," Lexi said as she grabbed a blanket off the couch and huddled under it.

Greg limped into the living room and grabbed some wood from the box. "Damn, it's freezing in here."

"Fall is coming," she acknowledged with a nod as she watched him start a blazing fire. "...Regular...boy scout, you are," she grinned.

Greg merely sniffed as he got up and limped to the kitchen. "Want anything?"

"Hot chocolate!"

"Marshmallows?"

"Yes!"

He returned several minutes later with two steaming hot cups and handed her one before taking a seat on the other end of the couch.

"Your speech is a lot better."

Lexi felt herself blush as she took a sip of her drink.

"I guess therapy is going well then," he said softly.

"Liz is great. I like her."

"Good. I guess it wouldn't be too conducive if you didn't get along."

"...No, I...guess not."

Greg grinned then chuckled. "Your voice is all husky now. The way you breathe into your words makes it sound sexy."

Lexi's eyes widened and she almost choked on her drink.

"I...guess that's a...good thing?"

He looked at her and nodded. "It certainly can be. But then I always was a sucker for a beautiful voice. And stutter or not, I've always liked yours."

He rubbed his thigh and winced. She wondered if he was in a lot of pain. The other day when he'd come out of the shower, she caught a glimpse of the scar and she was amazed he was able to walk at all.

"Is it hurting a lot?"

He nodded as he continued to rub some warmth into it, but it wasn't working.

Without a word, she got up and went to the bathroom to make a hot compress for him. She returned and he cocked his head to one side. "Take...your pants off," she ordered.

"That's supposed to be my line," he snarked.

She reached for his belt buckle and he was stunned as she undid the belt and unzipped his jeans.

"You're not going to..." he growled as he watched her pull his jeans down to his knees, and then off completely. "Ugh...you are..."

"Trust me," she whispered as she took the hot towel and placed it over the jagged hole in his thigh.

Greg hissed from the heat but had to admit it felt heavenly. She then placed her hands on top to massage the area.

She certainly seemed to know what she was doing and he didn't object. It felt amazing and after several minutes, he had relaxed and the pain was back down to a minimum.

"There," she said quietly as she pulled the blanket over her again.

"Where did you learn how to do that?"

She shrugged. "I...was a dancer...remember? We know pain. It...saved me many nights of agony."

"Oh, yeah I guess so. Well, thanks."

"...You're welcome," she said with a smile. "...So...can we go to karaoke tomorrow night?"

"Sure."

"Good. It's funny...I've...been here for two...weeks and I've...never been inside the rehab center."

"I thought you'd be more comfortable here."

"You just...wanted to keep an eye on me," she teased, poking him gently in the chest.

"Can you blame me? The last time I admitted you for simple blood work, you bolted," he laughed, poking her in return until she recoiled in a fit of giggles.

"S-stop!"

"Uh-oh, someone's ticklish," he laughed as he poked at her ribs, causing her to retreat to the corner of the couch.

She came to the realization that Greg knowing she was ticklish was not a good thing at all. When he eventually discovered exactly how ticklish she was, he'd no doubt be relentless and she'd be powerless to him.

He was like a cat, studying her. Waiting for the right time to pounce. His intense stare was formidable. Those blue eyes could probably make her do anything. All he'd have to do is crook his little finger and she'd come running.

When she thought more about that, it was almost scary. What was that power Greg had over her? She hardly knew him, really. And yet there they were. Alone in a cabin in the middle of nowhere.

What made him want to rescue her at all? Why did he care so much? He never did give her a straight answer. Well, now she deserved one.

"...Why did you bring me here, Greg?" she asked, so matter of fact that he almost appeared stunned, like a deer in headlights.

He sat back and blinked twice. "Where did that come from?"

"I asked you...once before...why you care? You...never gave me a straight answer. Or any answer."

He appeared to be thinking hard about something and he barely noticed when she placed her hand on his cheek. The stubble was rough against her fingertips but it wasn't unpleasant, either. She'd never been with a man who had scruff such as that and she wondered what it would feel like against her more sensitive skin. Like her neck, or...

Lexi shuddered and banished the thought from her mind as she pulled her hand away like she'd been scorched.

"Still cold?" Greg mused as he moved closer to her, pulling the blanket over both of them.

"N-no I'm fine."

He was grinning like a Cheshire cat. "You're stuttering again. What are you nervous about?"

"W-what makes you think I'm n-nervous?"

"Other than the fact that you've been doing so well the last couple of days with your speech therapy and now it's gone to hell. Gee...I dunno. You tell me."

"Y-you first."

Greg threw up his hands. "Fine. When I first saw you in Atlantic City I thought you were beautiful. I couldn't get you out of my head. So I came back a few weeks later, and then you became more than just a pretty face. When you collapsed on stage you became a medical mystery to me. And as most people who know me will tell you, that's like a dog with a bone. But then you checked out of the hospital and I was pissed."

"W-wait. How did you know about that?"

"I called to find out how you were doing and they told me. Now that I know about your fear of hospitals it makes sense. But it didn't back then. Anyway, you can imagine my surprise a year later when you walked back into my life at PPTH. Again, I was determined to get to the bottom of things and I was onto something but you disappeared again. So I wasn't just frustrated, I was pissed off. I felt robbed in more ways than one."

"I'm s-sorry..."

He held up his hand to silence her. "I'm not finished yet. Had I realized you were going to take the money and give it to your pimp, I never would have..."

Lexi stood up, fists clenched. "He w-wasn't my pimp, god damnit! For your information, I l-lived off that m-money for nearly two weeks b-before I even met him. And in case you're w-wondering, I w-wasn't his whore, and I didn't fuck guys for m-money. I danced at Tony's club but I w-wouldn't fuck the customers. Do you know w-what happened when I didn't?"

Greg was silent, listening, and all he could do was shake his head, waiting for her to continue.

"Tony m-made me b-blow him instead! And then Xavier would beat the hell out of me later. S-so that's w-why I'm asking w-why you care so much? Xavier claimed to, and m-maybe he did, in the beginning, b-but then his true colors came out. He g-got greedy."

"I'd never hit a woman," Greg said quietly. "_Ever_. I didn't have the best childhood, but I swore, after seeing my dad hit my mom, that I would never hit a woman no matter what."

Lexi sighed and sat back down on the couch a little closer to him than before. She reached for his hand and studied it.

He had beautiful, steady hands for a doctor, and long fingers that were perfect for playing guitar and piano. His fingertips were naturally calloused but the rest of his hand was soft.

"Sorry," she said softly as she met his eyes. "I...didn't mean to imply that you..."

Greg looked away from her. "Let's just forget it for tonight," he said as he used his cane to help himself up. "I'm going to bed. It's late." Grabbing his jeans, he limped out of the room without a glance back. "Don't forget to take your meds!" he called out before she heard his bedroom door shut.

X X X

House lay in his bed listening to the rain outside. He heard Lexi moving about the cabin, closing the curtains, locking the doors and putting kindling in the wood stove for morning. He smiled to himself when he thought about her. He'd been smiling a lot lately. It had been a long time since he had anything to smile about.

So what did it all mean? Since Stacy left him he'd been miserable. Hell, he was the one who pushed her until she broke. He couldn't blame her.

Now he had Lexi to take care of. And he was actually happy to do so, even though he knew she could most likely take care of herself given the right circumstances.

He wondered what she would do once she finished rehab. She didn't talk about having a plan. Would she live with him if he asked her? Just until she got a job and some money to get back on her feet again? He wasn't sure.

It wasn't like they couldn't live together. In the last couple of weeks, things were fine. She was very easy to live with. Granted, she was on meds but still, she struck him as fairly easy going. Much more so than he ever was. She would balance him out nicely.

And there was what happened that day. The touching of hands, the serious eye fucking and then the short tickle fight. If that wasn't foreplay, he didn't know what was, but he enjoyed every minute of it.

He wondered what she would do if he made the first move. If he kissed her. God, but he wanted to. When she was tending to his thigh it was all he could do to stop himself from becoming aroused. And all she'd done was take his pants off.

At the mere idea of it he felt his erection suddenly come to life and he groaned. _Great! Just great!_ He made no effort to take care of his problem. If he ignored it, it would take care of itself. Her emerald green eyes haunted his thoughts and he envisioned her beautiful, full lips around his cock, sucking in earnest. Her head bobbing up and down in his lap as he held her hair away from her face so he could watch her.

_Fuck!_

He reached down and grabbed his cock like he was going to teach it a lesson. Slowly, he stroked, maintaining a tight grip.

_Not now! Why now?_

He envisioned her bent over the sink next, washing her gorgeous black hair as he took her from behind, slamming into her, over and over. He was stroking himself faster, harder. It had been so long since he'd jerked off to thoughts of anyone that his whole body began jerking along with his hand.

It was short-lived, but oh, so hot! He came hard just thinking about fucking Lexi raw in the kitchen, groaning loudly into his pillow as he did so she wouldn't hear him.

House realized then that he was in big trouble. He needed to nip those thoughts in the bud for the duration of their stay at the cabin. It wasn't right. He didn't want to hinder her recovery, but at the same time, if something were to happen between them, would it be such a bad thing?

He got up, changed his pants and was headed to the bathroom to clean himself up when he heard it. At first he wasn't sure, but when he listened, he heard sniffling and choked sobs.

"Lexi?" he said quietly as he rapped on her bedroom door.

"I'm fine," she called out, her voice wavering.

He tossed his pants in the laundry bag and opened her door slowly, sticking his head in. The room was pitch black except for the beam of moonlight that came in through the window.

"You don't sound fine."

"I...will be."

House came into the room and closed the door behind him.

"Please...j-just go," she protested as he sat on the edge of her bed.

"What's wrong?"

"It's...stupid."

"I'll be the judge of that," he said.

"I had a dream about m-my Mom. She w-was disappointed in m-me."

"I doubt that."

"Look at m-me, Greg. I'm in a rehab clinic for Christ's sake. It's...probably n-not what she expected of her only daughter."

"Your Mom is gone, Lexi."

"I w-wanted to be a pro ballerina l-like her. I'm j-just not good enough. I've l-learned to accept it. But I don't know w-what to do now."

House stretched out on the bed next to her, hoping it would give her some measure of comfort to have him close by.

"Y-you'll freeze l-like that," she said and held the covers open for him. Without having to be told twice, he climbed in and then pulled her into his arms, letting her rest her head on his chest.

"There must be something you're good at," he said thoughtfully as he stroked her hair. It really was as soft as he imagined. Soft and silky, yet very thick and wavy at the same time.

"Yeah, s-stripping, pole dancing and s-snorting coke," she sniffed. "Great aspirations."

House snickered. "Can you type?"

"Y-yeah, I guess."

"Can you speak English?"

She laughed at that last question. "Duhh...why are you asking?

"Well...I could always use an assistant. I've been typing up my own letters and answering my own calls and it's a pain in the ass. I mean, if you wanted a job, that is. I just thought it would be something to keep you busy and to get you situated. However I'm not the easiest guy to work with. Anyone who works with me will testify to that."

She seemed quiet for awhile, and he could hear her breath slowing down, becoming more even. "...Where would I live?"

"With me, until you found a place of your own. If you wanted to, that is," he shrugged. "After you get out of here, you might not ever want to see me again," he chuckled.

Lexi frowned and looked up at him. "Don't even joke about that, Greg. I owe you...so much."

"Pshht, you don't owe me anything."

"B-bailing me out of jail and then...bringing me here is...a big deal. I don't think...you realize the...magnitude of what you've done for me."

"I did what any decent person would have."

"Most people wouldn't want to get involved. You could've just...let them release me...back on the streets. And God only...knows what would have happened to me then."

"You could've gone back home."

Lexi snorted softly. "Right. It was worse there."

"Where is home, anyway?"

"Orlando, Florida."

"Wow, you came a long way to end up in Atlantic City."

"It...wasn't that hard. I had inheritance...money from my Mom. It allowed me to..get the hell out."

House looked down at her. "Was it that bad?"

Lexi shrugged. "It...could've been worse. And...before you ask, I wasn't...raped by my stepfather, but his two kids were mean to me. Especially his son. They...picked on me because I...stuttered and they were vicious. And their father...never stood up for me. He just...let them do it. Sometimes he'd even join in."

"Jerk," House hissed.

"I...was nineteen when my Mom passed away and I just...couldn't take it anymore so once I got the inheritance money I took off and...never looked back."

"Good for you. It takes bravery to do that. To know when the hell to get out. As soon as I graduated high school I took off. My father was a military man. He wanted me to follow in his footsteps and be a Marine. Medicine wasn't worthy enough for him."

"You're...going to be famous one day...you're brilliant. I could tell that...when I first saw you."

She closed her eyes and settled against him. In a few minutes, she was asleep, and he was still holding her in his arms. It felt right to him, and soon, he drifted off as well.


	8. The Start of Something Good

**Chapter 8**

August, 2001

The cabin was colder than ever and Lexi didn't want to get up to heat the place. However, Greg was still in bed with her, his arm across her and his hand splayed on her stomach. She felt warm and safe for the first time in years.

As she watched him sleep, she couldn't help but check him out. It was probably the first time she'd really had a chance to look at him without him being aware of it.

He was definitely attractive, for an older guy. She guessed he was probably in his mid-forties, if the strands of grey were any clue. She didn't mind it though. It made him look distinguished and...dare she say it, sexy.

She'd always had a thing for older men. Maybe it was a daddy complex. Her dad been killed by a drunk driver when she was only three, so she didn't remember much about him, if anything. All she had were pictures, and they were back home in Florida.

House stirred and rolled over onto his back. "Unnghh," he groaned. "It's fucking...freezing in here."

Lexi giggled. "I'll...get the furnace going." She knew how much his leg bothered him in the morning, if his moaning was any indication each time he got up. It often took him awhile before he was fully mobile.

"You're an angel," he murmured into the pillow.

"Ha!" she snorted as she sat up, stuffed her feet into some slippers and went out into the hall to start the fire in the big cast iron stove. It was actually quite efficient at warming the place up, and it was still early. She had every intention of climbing back into bed with Greg, providing he was okay with it. Then again, it was her bed. If he didn't like it, he wouldn't have stayed all night. But considering he'd spent the night with her, she doubted he'd be so quick to leave. Especially since it was nice and warm under the covers.

She ran back into the bedroom and jumped into bed, making him laugh.

"Are you usually so...vibrant in the morning?" he teased.

"No...but there isn't usually a hot...man in my bed, either," she blushed.

"If that's what you want to believe..."

The sun was coming up and the room was getting brighter.

"What do you want to do today?" he asked her.

"I...want to hang out outside. Can...we take the boat out? Then karaoke tonight?"

Greg laughed and playfully tousled her hair. "I take it you're feeling better."

"Much."

"Good. You can make breakfast then," he said as he flopped back against the pillows.

"Hey!" she laughed and slapped him over the head with her pillow. "I'm...not your slave!"

Greg grabbed his pillow and hit her back. "Says you."

Lexi was about to strike again when he grabbed the pillow from her and pinned her hands down against the mattress, leaning over her.

She was speechless. Their faces were a mere inches apart such that they were breathing each other's air.

He looked so damn sexy, like he was seriously contemplating something. Neither of them said anything, his eyes raked over her body, taking in her sweatpants and long sleeved shirt that he'd given her to wear.

"Can I get up now?" she asked when her stomach growled loud enough to wake the dead.

Greg released her hands and let her up.

"Wouldn't wanna keep you from your coffee."

"I...could say the same thing about you,...Dr. Crankenstein," she giggled and took off.

"Oh, you are in so much trouble," he groaned as he grabbed his vicodin from his bedroom and dry swallowed two of them as he came into the kitchen.

"Ya know, since this is...rehab, perhaps you should...consider getting some help for your drug problem."

Greg narrowed his eyes. "I don't have a drug problem, I have a pain problem. Not the same. You've seen my thigh. Do you have any idea how much it hurts every day? Vicodin allows me to function. Believe me, you don't want to see me at my worst. It's not pretty."

"...You've seen me at...my worst," she pointed out as she reached for the coffee beans.

"That wasn't pretty either," he said as he brushed past her and grabbed a couple of bagels. They stood side by side at the kitchen counter, hips touching as she made the coffee and Greg put the first bagel in the toaster. "At least the worst seems to be over. Providing you don't have a relapse."

"So far so good," she grinned sweetly as she watched the coffee drip into the carafe.

"Yeah, unless you also have a caffeine addiction you haven't told us about."

"...No worse than anyone else's."

"Fair enough."

When it was done, she poured some for herself, added milk, grabbed the bagel that Greg had just taken out of the toaster and went outside to eat on the patio.

He joined her five minutes later and sat down on the chair next to hers, resting his feet on the railing.

The lake was as smooth as glass and the morning mist had settled on it. Loons were calling and the air was heavy from the storm the night before.

"Did...you mean it...when you said I could...stay with you...when I'm done here?" she asked him out of the blue.

"I wouldn't have offered if I didn't. Did you think I was just going to send you off with nothing?"

"Well...I..."

"I think we could live together without killing each other," he added. "We seem to be doing all right so far. My apartment isn't much bigger than this cabin."

Lexi nodded and bit her lip, unsure how to say what was really on her mind. Greg had been watching her and she knew he could tell something was bothering her.

"There's something else bothering you. What?" he asked.

"...When..two people spend...a lot of time together...there's a danger of...becoming romantically involved."

Greg looked at her and swung his legs down from the railing. "Would it be so dangerous if it did happen?"

"No, but it's...probably not a good idea as...long as I'm here."

He shrugged. "I'm sure it happens all the time. People can spend months in places like this. What else is there to do but talk to each other all day? Eventually, if there's a meeting of the minds, something's going to happen. This is rehab. It's not an insane asylum. They probably don't discourage it the same way as a psych hospital would."

Lexi shrugged. "I...wouldn't know. This is the first time I've ever...been in a place like this. And I'm...not even in the place. I'm in...some cabin in the...woods where someone brings me...my meds every other day. It's like watered-down rehab."

Greg stood and drained his coffee cup. "I guess you have to ask yourself what you want. I'm not going to fight it if it happens, just so you know."

"This...isn't easy. I don't...I've never...been in a real relationship before. I don't...know the first thing about romance."

He chuckled. "And you think I do? I'm the least romantic guy on the planet."

"I doubt that. You're passionate about medicine. That's what drives you. It's what makes you want to get up every morning. Passionate people are romantics at heart."

"Wow," Greg whispered. He seemed to be in awe about something. He was staring at her like he was seeing her for the first time.

"What?"

"You just said all that without stopping."

Lexi cocked her head to one side. "I did?"

"Yeah. When you're not thinking about it, you don't do it much at all."

"Is that good, then?"

Greg took a step forward. "Good? It's fantastic. You've only been trying it out, what, a couple of days? By the end of next week you probably won't stutter at all."

"It's almost too...good to be true," she said quietly. "I've been stuttering...since I...was five."

He stepped closer, narrowing the gap between them and reached out to touch her face. "I think Dr. Stone will see to it that you don't do it anymore. Not that it makes a difference. I'd have you whether you stuttered or not," he said softly, stroking her cheek.

Lexi was floored. _Was he serious? Was he making a pass at her?_ She didn't know what she was supposed to say or do.

He had that look in his eye. The same look he'd given her yesterday in the kitchen, and her body suddenly felt warm and tingly all over. Greg was turning her on, and all he'd done was touch her face.

Lexi wanted him to kiss her. She wanted to know what that scruff felt like against her lips. _Would it hurt, or would it tickle?_

She took a deep breath in as he moved closer. He reached up and removed the clasp from her hair, letting it tumble down around her shoulders. They were so caught up in staring at each other they almost didn't hear the pounding at the front door. It was Joe delivering her meds, and no doubt, House's Vicodin.

"Joe's here," her voice cracked as she regrettably stepped back, breaking the connection they shared. "I'll..go answer."

House ran his hand down over his face and shook his head.

X X X

_What am I doing?_ He cursed himself as he went inside and fired up his laptop. It had been days since he'd checked his email and he was sure it would be flooded with emails from Wilson. He felt bad for neglecting him, but he didn't need his meddling right now. Even though his friend meant well.

Sure enough, there were more than a dozen emails from Wilson, not to mention a full voicemail box on his cell phone which he deleted without listening to them. He heard Lexi step into the shower so he decided now would be a good time to call his friend.

He answered on the second ring.

"_House?"_

"When someone doesn't call back, or answer emails, it usually means they're too busy."

"_What are you doing? Where are you?"_

"It's kind of a long story. Do you remember Lexi?"

"_Lexi...Lexi...no. Who's Lexi?"_

"Remember the showgirl in Atlantic city?"

There was silence for a minute. And then..._"Oh my God. You're shacking up with..."_

"Not exactly. Look, I don't have a lot of time to talk. I'll be home in a couple of weeks and I'll tell you everything then. So stop leaving endless messages. I'm fine, I'm safe, and nothing bad has happened. Cya soon." House snapped his phone shut and stretched out on the couch for a nap. For some reason, he was tired again. The air up there constantly made him sleepy and before long, he was in a deep sleep.

X X X

Seth invited them to come to the clinic and have dinner at the main building which House was more than happy about. Not that he didn't enjoy Lexi's cooking. She was a good cook, but sometimes it was nice to have a break.

It wasn't a long walk to the clinic and along the way, House stopped and grabbed a bunch of honeysuckles he found growing wild along the path. Lexi had gone on ahead and didn't realize he'd stopped until she looked and noticed he was no longer next to her.

"Here," he said, handing her half a dozen flowers.

She looked at them, then up at him in awe. "And...you say you're...not a romantic."

He looked sheepish. "I have my moments."

"Well...you'd better...be careful, Dr. House," she whispered. "Keep doing things like that, and you...might get what you want, after all."

Before he could ask what she meant, she was already way ahead of him. He had to move fast to catch up.

Seth was waiting for them outside the front doors and ushered them inside to the dining area. "Perfect timing. They just started serving dinner. It's buffet style tonight so I hope you brought your appetite, Lexi."

"I'm starving," she said with a nod.

Seth and House watched her as she moved to the buffet table and grabbed a plate. "How is she?" Seth asked him. "Liz Stone is very pleased with her. Says even speech therapy is going well."

House nodded. "Very well."

"Greg, you'd...better come get some of this before it's gone," Lexi called to him. Seth's jaw dropped.

"Wow."

House patted Seth hard on the shoulder. "I told you so."

"That's great. How are you two getting along?"

"Fine. She's very...unsure of what she wants. I asked her to move in with me when her stint here is over and she agreed, but I think it's because she's scared of going off on her own. I'm going to give her a job working for me, let her earn some of her own money. Then if she wants to move on, fine. She'll have the means to do it."

Seth looked surprised. "Wow. That's quite a commitment."

"It's better than just kicking her back to the street with no money. She'll just end up where she was before. She's better than that. She has talent and it shouldn't be wasted dancing in seedy clubs."

"Sounds like you really care about her."

"I always have," he said quietly, tapping his cane against the floor.

"I hear a 'but' coming."

"I don't know how I'll deal with it if she wants to leave. My last girlfriend left. It wasn't good, even if I pushed her into doing so."

They ate dinner and then everyone gathered in the activity room where a DJ was setting up what looked to be very elaborate karaoke equipment.

"We do serious karaoke here," Seth grinned as he handed Lexi a thick binder full of songs to choose from.

"Do you sing...Dr. Michaels?" Lexi asked him.

"Call me Seth, please, and yes I do. Care to do a duet?"

"Are you any good?"

House snickered at his friend.

"I can hold my own," Seth grinned, to which House began whispering conspiratorially in Lexi's ear.

"Riiiight. There's a reason he became a doctor. Nobody in their right mind would give this guy a record contract."

"Don't listen to him, Lexi," Seth laughed. "He's just jealous because it's the singers who get the girls."

"Yeah, and I still got Party Pants, didn't I?"

Seth laughed and patted House on the shoulder. "Well played, sir."

House stood at the back of the room watching people go up one by one, but it was Lexi who stole the show each time. The first song she sang was a little rusty, but once she got warmed up, she was a force to be reckoned with. She and Seth sang "Unforgettable," and blew everyone away. Seth had clearly improved over the years and he didn't sound half bad either, but House's eyes were on Lexi. She looked exceptionally ravishing dressed in tight jeans and his vintage concert T-shirt. He made a mental note to take her back to her old apartment to get her stuff when they returned to the city, since all she had of her own was what she was wearing when she was brought to jail.

When the night was over, Seth presented Lexi with a T-shirt that said Karaoke Queen on it, and gave a Karaoke King shirt to one of the men who got up and sang quite a few songs. As House and Lexi were preparing to leave, Seth glanced outside. "It's starting to rain. Wouldn't want you guys to get soaked. Wait here, I'll go grab an umbrella."

The rain was getting heavier as House and Lexi waited. "We'll just have to huddle close," House chuckled as he wrapped his free arm around her waist, taking her by surprise.

She looked up at him, almost as if she were waiting for something, so he went in for the kill. He lowered his head, placed his hand under her chin and gently pressed his lips against hers. Those soft, amazing lips that he'd been longing to touch for so long were finally his and he brushed his own lips gently against them as his thumb caressed her cheek.

She seemed hesitant at first, but then she seemed to melt against his body.

The sound of someone clearing his throat made them jump apart like they'd been scorched and House glared at Seth, who simply shrugged. "Here's the umbrella. Good luck, you two."

Once he was gone, Lexi smiled back at House, wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down to kiss her again.

He nibbled and sucked her lower lip into his mouth and she slid her tongue against his as they explored and tasted each other for the first time.

The need for air became too great and they broke apart without a word. Lexi opened the umbrella for protection against the rain and they began the trek back to the cabin.

They walked as quickly as they could across the grounds but the wind was driving the rain against them, despite Lexi's best efforts with the umbrella. By the time they reached the cabin, they were soaked to the skin and freezing.

"You okay?" House asked her as they shook the water off themselves and stomped the mud off their shoes at the front door before going inside.

"Yeah...but I'm c-c-cold," her teeth chattered.

"I'll get a fire going and the wood stove as well. Can't have you freezing your fine ass off, can we?" he said as he unlocked the door.

She cocked her head to one side. "You think it's...fine?"

House turned around to look at her with her wet, tangled hair in her eyes and wet clothes. She looked adorable, and extremely sexy. Like she'd just gotten out of the shower. "Very." He opened the door and let her go in first.


	9. A Kiss is Just a Kiss

_**A/N: Okay..so I've had this chapter written for awhile, but then I got brainstorming with Iyimgrace and it took a bit of a different turn. So I went back and changed a bunch of it. I had a bit of writer's block but I think I've got my mojo back ;) **_

_**Thanks to all of you who've added this story to their favorites/alerts. It makes me squeeee :) I love you guys!**_

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**Chapter 9**

The kitchen was dark and Greg made no effort to turn the light on right away.

"We're soaking wet," he whispered as he pulled his own sweatshirt over his head, along with the shirt underneath. Lexi held her breath at seeing his bare chest, the muscles beneath, and the slight amount of hair. He was in very good shape and it was all she could do to resist touching him.

"Yes...well, it's raining," Lexi said as if that were obvious.

"You look good wet," he said as he took a step closer and unzipped the soaked hoodie she wore. It slid off her shoulders and onto the floor next to his shirts. She continued to stand there, not saying anything, staring up at him expectantly. She wasn't sure what was happening, but if anyone made the next move, it wasn't going to be her.

Then, as if she was suddenly stricken with a dose of courage, she pulled the wet T-shirt over her head and tossed it aside, standing there in a flimsy white lace bra and wet jeans.

It was Greg's turn to suck in his breath at the sight of her. Her breasts were hidden by the bra, but her nipples were erect beneath the fabric and his eyes were immediately drawn to them, causing Lexi to smile back at him. She knew the power she had over him and she was going to use it to her advantage. She could see him faltering and it amused her. He always seemed so in control, and now he was looking like he wanted to touch her but wasn't sure if he should.

Lexi took a step forward and looked into his eyes. They were dark and hooded. She also noticed that he'd trimmed his beard that day. It wasn't as full as it was the night before, but she reached up and touched his cheek to feel for herself.

He wrapped his arm around her tiny waist, pulling her up against him. She felt him kiss the top of her head as his other arm wrapped around her. They stood there like that for a couple of minutes, just hugging in the dark.

She felt warm and safe once again and she wrapped her arms around his waist in return, giving him a slight squeeze.

There was a flash of lightning outside and then a loud crack of thunder that made her jump back from him.

Greg chuckled and stepped back to smile down at her. "Come on, it's freezing in here. I'll start a fire. Why don't you make us some tea or something?"

She grinned as she flicked the light on and picked up the wet clothes off the floor. "Here,...make yourself useful and put them in the...laundry bag."

He lowered his eyes and his voice as he bowed deeply. "Yes, Mistress."

Lexi cocked an eyebrow at him but didn't say anything as she watched him limp down the hall, admiring his ass in the jeans he wore. The man was definitely sexy and she couldn't help wonder what he'd be like behind closed doors.

She had a feeling that he'd be very lavish and attentive in bed. A flutter in her belly made her smile as she went about making them some hot chocolate. She was turned on and it had been a long time since she felt that way toward any man.

While the kettle boiled, she peeled off her wet jeans and bra and then pulled on the T-shirt Seth gave her. It was quite long, and came halfway down her thighs.

She brought the drinks into the living room where Greg was stoking the fire to get it going.

"You were amazing tonight, by the way," he said as he stood by the fire. He'd put PJ pants and a T-shirt on and it was tight, showing off his very sculpted biceps and broad chest.

"Yeah?"

He put the poker down and limped across the room, taking a seat next to her on the comfortable old couch.

"I thought you were better than Natalie Cole herself. You and Seth sounded good together, too. You should take it on the road."

Lexi laughed. "Speaking of which, who's Party Pants?"

Greg sighed and looked up at the ceiling like he was embarrassed. "Cuddy. My boss. We all went to med school in the mid eighties. Seth was a year older than I am, but we ran with the same crowd."

"Oh."

"Did you ever go to college?" he asked her.

"No. Kinda hard...when you're dirt poor."

Greg nodded.

"I was a straight A student...but I really had no desire to go to college. I...wanted to be a ballerina like my Mom."

"So what happened?"

Lexi shrugged. "I wasn't ballerina material."

Greg let the subject go and they took a long sip of their drinks. She could feel his eyes on her and she looked back at him just as intensely.

"How old are you, Lexi?"

"Twenty-six. How old are you?"

"Forty-three."

"Mmm," she sighed. "I always had a thing for older men."

House smirked. "Daddy complex?"

"...Maybe. But older guys seem to lose their...baggage over time."

He laughed out loud. "You have no idea how much baggage I have."

Lexi smiled sweetly. "I...guess I'll find out." Then she yawned and stretched.

House took one final sip of his hot chocolate and got up. "Let's get some sleep," he suggested. "It's supposed to be decent weather tomorrow. We can take the boat out or something."

Lexi grinned as she headed to her bedroom. _Or something_, she thought.

X X X

House woke up early the next morning, quietly got dressed and left a note for Lexi to let her know that he'd run into town to pick up some more groceries for the cabin. He also swung by Starbucks on the way back and picked them up some coffee.

When he pulled up to the cabin and got out, he stopped. He smelled something. Something really good. It smelled like...

He opened the door and came in, the sweet smell of fresh bread met him when he stepped inside and he took a deep breath. "You're making cinnamon buns?" he gaped at her. She was standing at the counter spreading icing on them and nodded.

"Yep. I had a...craving for them."

House grabbed a coffee from the tray and put it in front of her. "For your efforts."

"Wow. Thanks."

"You're welcome." He stuck his finger in the bowl of icing and licked it off while she watched, her mouth open. "What?"

"N-nothing," she said quickly as she took a sip of her coffee and went back to spreading icing on the buns.

He noticed the stammer but didn't say anything as he returned to the car to get the groceries, brought them in and began putting food away.

She seemed a little nervous so he left her alone as he went into the living room with his laptop. The heavenly scent of the cinnamon buns baking in the oven soon filled the air and made his mouth water. After another ten minutes he couldn't take it anymore and got up.

"Are they ready yet?"

Lexi grabbed an oven mitt and nodded. House watched her pull them from the oven and set them on the stove. They smelled and looked heavenly. When he reached for one, she smacked his hand away. "They're still hot."

"Yeah, so they'll be nice and sticky," he said as he grabbed one and took a big bite, moaning at how good it was.

"Is it okay?" she asked, looking pensive.

House stared at her and offered her a bite which she took. He loved the idea of feeding her things. It brought to mind thoughts of feeding her other fun things: strawberries, whip cream...

After she'd taken a bite, she licked some of the icing off his fingers very slowly and he thought he'd lose it. It was the most sensuous thing she'd ever done and he felt himself becoming rather excited.

"Better than okay," he said huskily as he crashed his lips against hers and pulled her body against his so she could feel his excitement. He could taste the sticky sweet icing on her lips and his tongue wrestled with hers, nibbling and biting to get the rest of the icing. He heard her moan softly as he buried one hand in her silky black hair and slid the other hand down her back and over her very firm ass.

Lexi began kissing him back with just as much enthusiasm and then moved her kisses to his jaw line and then down the side of his neck. His scruff made her lips raw but she didn't care.

"This is probably a bad idea," House murmured as he tried to tear himself away from her. His mind had basically become a fog and all the blood from his brain was now rushing to his cock.

"Why?" she asked, stepping back, looking almost regretful.

"Because things could get complicated. You have enough on your plate."

Lexi frowned. "You...make me out to be...some delicate flower," she hissed, clearly getting angry.

House put his hands on her shoulders but she wriggled free and took a step back. "No, that's not it. I just..."

"...You don't like...me that way. I get it."

Now it was House's turn to get angry. "Right. I kiss all women like that."

"Maybe you do," she said sullenly as she folded her arms across her chest.

"Don't talk stupid," he all but shouted. "I told you before that if things developed between us that I'd be okay with it."

"...Right, you did. And...now you're having...second thoughts. Fine," she hissed and tossed her oven mitt on the counter before she stormed out of the kitchen.


	10. On the Lake

A/N: Sorry for the delay guys. I've been sick and it's hard to write when your head feels like it's going to explode from sinus pressure. When I get sick, I don't kid around haha. Anyway, thanks to those of you who are still reading, and to the new readers who've put this on story alert. I hope you continue to enjoy.

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**Chapter 10**

It was turning out to be a hot sunny day, but very humid, thanks to the rain the night before. Lexi was restless and so was House. She was still hurt by his dismissal of her that morning and spent the rest of it on the patio by herself while House stayed inside working on his laptop. Finally, he snapped his computer closed and limped outside to the patio where Lexi was sitting.

"I'm really not good at this," he said as he stood, looking out at the lake. It was calm, and the fish were jumping. When she didn't answer, he glanced back at her. She didn't look pissed off anymore and he let his guard down.

"I don't have a problem taking things further," he went on. "I just don't think it should happen while we're here. You only have a couple of weeks left and there's a lot about each other we don't know."

Lexi nodded, listening. "Let's get to...know each other then," she said as she stood up. "Let's take the...boat out."

House grinned at her. "Got some cabin fever, do you?"

"...You have...no idea."

X X X

Lexi changed into a pair of Greg's boxer shorts and a T-shirt and she helped him down the hill that led to the dock. Over her shoulder she carried a small cooler filled with Coke, bottled water and snacks, and some towels were folded over her other arm. Once in the boat, she pushed off from the dock and Greg began rowing.

She leaned back, sitting across from him at the bow and watched him row. The muscles that rippled beneath his snug fitting T-shirt were turning her on.

"Why are you looking at me that way?" Greg inquired, looking rather curious. He had a slight grin which just barely showed off his straight white teeth.

"What way?" she asked innocently as she squirmed on the bench, clearly not lost on Greg.

"Little vixen," he teased, but continued to row, albeit a little quicker. Where he was headed, she didn't know until they reached a clearing further down the lake. It was bigger than it looked; at least another few miles long. From the cabin it did not look that way.

He stopped rowing and then reached for the cooler to grab a coke. "Water?"

Lexi nodded and he passed her one. As they sat quietly, he absent-mindedly rubbed his thigh.

"Is it hurting...bad today?" she asked, bringing him to look at her.

"It hurts bad every day."

"...What happened?"

"Infarction."

"...What's that?"

"Sort of like a blood clot one would get in their heart, but mine was in my leg. I told them what it was, but they took too long before they made up their minds that I was right all along and then it was too late. They wanted to amputate, and I wouldn't let them. They put me in a coma so I could basically sleep through the worst of the pain. While I was asleep, Stacy, my girlfriend at the time, and medical proxy, gave them the okay cut out the dead muscle."

Lexi frowned. "Oh Greg," she sighed.

He looked away, refused to meet her eyes. "Don't look at me like that. I don't need your pity."

"I'm...not pitying you, Greg," she said quietly. "It's just...crappy that you've had to...live with that. Isn't there anything else they...can do?"

"Other than cut the leg off? No," he said, in a sharp tone that she caught on to. Clearly he wasn't comfortable talking about it, if his body language and tone were any indication. Looking out, she saw the clouds coming in, but they were a ways off.

"I...don't know what I'd do if I...couldn't dance anymore. Dancing is...my life." she said softly. "So I can understand some of what you might be feeling. You look like an athletic sort of guy. Did you play sports?"

Greg shrugged. "Lacrosse when I was in school, I joined the cheerleading squad to impress a girl. I played Golf, which is what I was doing when it happened. Those days are gone with the wind, I guess."

Lexi decided to let the subject drop and let her hand glide along the side of the boat in the water. "It's not very cold."

"Jump in then," he grinned. "In that white T-shirt you've got on, it would be a treat. You can swim, can't you?"

She nodded.

"There's a raft over there in the middle of the lake. You swim, I'll row."

"If you insist," she grinned and then without warning, dove into the green water and came back up. Then she squealed. "D-damn it's c-colder than I thought!"

"No surprise. It hasn't been all that warm here lately. Not warm enough for the water to be warm. So get swimming before your heart stops," he laughed and began rowing toward the raft.

Lexi swam, long, powerful strokes, over to the large raft and climbed up onto it via the attached ladder. It was about twelve feet by twelve feet square and made of smooth, sanded wood. Someone clearly built it to be used for recreation and kept it maintained.

Greg pulled the boat up to the side and tied it to the ladder before climbing out with Lexi's help. He handed the towels to her and watched her lay them side by side. Then she stretched out on one of them, letting the hot sun beat down on her.

X X X

House sat and watched her for a few minutes. She looked so calm, so peaceful. Her long black hair was fanned out on the towel and her olive skin was glistening in the sun. He thought back to that morning and smiled to himself. She had completely taken him by surprise in the kitchen, that was for sure. And if that weren't enough, her body was to die for. She was very limber, there wasn't an ounce of fat on her, and her breasts were perfect.

"Amazing," he whispered.

"Hmm?" she murmured, eyes still closed as she lay on her back.

He grabbed another Coke from the cooler and snapped it open. It was quite hot, and still very humid, but it felt good to be outside. He could tell from the clouds that they didn't have a lot of time. In another hour it would probably rain again. It was the season for storms, after all.

Once he finished his Coke, he tossed the can into the boat and stretched out next to her, gently gliding his hand over her arm. She was still wearing the T-shirt and he could see her pert nipples through the wet cotton. He felt a stirring in his shorts and grinned as he looked around. Not a person in sight. And if there were, they were far enough out that nobody would be able to see them without binoculars.

House continued to stroke her arm, his mind working overtime. He knew he shouldn't be doing anything. But seeing her that way was tempting him to throw his better judgment out the window. He wanted so badly to touch her, kiss her amazing mouth, taste her just once, to tide himself over for awhile.

He leaned over and placed kisses on her face, her neck and then her lips. His hand slid over her shirt and gently over her breast, toying with her nipple. "Greg!" she shrieked, suddenly feeling bashful, and covered her chest with her hands.

He laughed even harder. "Take a look around, Lexi. There's NOBODY for miles. We're in the middle of a lake."

His lips captured hers in a searing kiss. She was resistant at first, still looking around, paranoid that someone might be watching. But when she sighed, and her body went limp, he knew she had relaxed.

"That's my girl," he murmured between kisses as he wrapped his arms around her. "I'm sorry about this morning," he said as he stroked her cheek. "Honestly though, you said it yourself the other day, when two people spend a lot of time together and are attracted to each other, romantic feelings can evolve. Seems to be the case. And while I'm all for that, I think it's better that we take this slow, or wait until you're done with rehab."

"...Whatever, _Dr. House_. You k-know best," she grumbled and moved away from him. "I told you...before, Greg, I'm...not as fragile as...you think."

"I know," he sighed. "I just...don't want to ruin what we have going here."

"How would you ruin it? We've probably already broken the rules by kissing each other."

House shrugged. "I don't think there are any rules that say we can't. I just don't think it's wise to do much else, if anything, from now on."

He could tell that wasn't what Lexi wanted to hear, and he didn't like saying it. But really, it was for the best. If they took things slow, it would be better for her, wouldn't it?

"Then what was this?" she demanded, gesturing between the two of them.

He shook his head. "I'm just a man, I have weaknesses," he grinned, somewhat charmingly. "Listen, Lexi," he said as she moved away from him. "It's not that I don't want to. You're just not ready."

She opened her mouth to protest but he held up his hand. "Physically and mentally yes, emotionally, no. You still have a lot of things to work out in there," he said, pointing to her forehead.

Lexi was still pouting, but she nodded her head anyway. "...Maybe you're right."

"I'm always right," he smiled, trying to lighten the mood."

"Do you always have to have the last word?"

House chuckled and playfully tapped the end of her nose. "Always."

Thunder rumbled in the distance and House frowned. "Let's get out of here. The last place we want to be in a thunder storm is in a metal boat. Come on."

They gathered up their things and House used the motor to get them back quickly, rather than rowing. As they tied up the boat, the rain came on as a downpour and Lexi helped House inside as quickly as she could. Another rainy afternoon was had, Lexi was upset and House knew that it was going to be another long day.


	11. Changing Course

A/N: Still sick...but slowly getting over it. Stupid colds. My hubby has been home sick too so you can well imagine ;) I lock myself in the office and write to stay away from Mr. Crankypants ;)

**Chapter 11**

_One week later..._

House paced the kitchen as he waited for Liz. She'd been away for the last few days on a business trip and hadn't seen Lexi since last Friday. In that time, things had taken a turn, and not for the better. He was worried about Lexi and she wouldn't talk to him. The only other person he knew she would talk to was Liz, and even though he knew that was best, he couldn't help feeling a little hurt. After they had talked about just about everything, she suddenly shut down and refused to get out of bed.

When he heard her car pull up, he opened the door.

"Thanks for coming on a weekend, but I'm at the end of my rope here," House said to Liz as he let her into the cabin.

"What seems to be the problem?"

He shook his head. "She's...depressed, or upset about something. She claims it's just the weather but I don't think so. I think there's something deeper bothering her, but she won't talk to me so I was hoping you could find out what it is."

"Dr. House, you know I can't discuss her therapy with you..."

House waved his hand in dismissal. "I know that. But she was happy. You saw how she was last week. She was happy, and excited about karaoke..."

Liz managed a slight grin. "Yes, and I also know you had something to do with that happiness."

House frowned. "You disapprove." It was more of a statement than a question.

"It's not my business. As long as she's happy, I see no problem with her pursuing a relationship, romantic or not. But if she's as you say, something triggered this. I'll do my best."

X X X

A week straight of rain was enough to make anyone miserable, and Lexi was no exception. She felt tired, listless and sad.

Her time with Greg had been good. But alas, she was sad for reasons she couldn't comprehend. It might've been her meds, or the fact that she missed working and being a showgirl, and she missed her Mom.

She knew her Mom would have liked Greg. He was truly brilliant, handsome, and a nice guy, even though he didn't agree with the latter.

She began thinking more and more about him. He was well on his way to becoming a famous diagnostician. He talked about one day getting his own department and his own team to diagnose the patients that other doctors gave up on. He was already taking the odd patient and diagnosing their rare illness. He knew what he was talking about and she had no doubt that everyone knew that.

_So what was he doing with me? I'm nobody. Just a lowly ex-dancer with no job, no money and no talent. He doesn't need me bringing him down. I'm just baggage. Sure, he promised me a job and a place to live, but he probably just feels obligated because he knows I have nowhere else to go._

"Lexi?" Liz's voice said quietly from the doorway of her bedroom.

"Hi Liz," she mumbled as she pulled the covers up to her chin.

"What's wrong?" she asked as she came into the room and closed the door behind her.

"...Sick of the rain. It...makes me sad...sometimes."

Liz nodded and took a seat in the chair next to the bed. "Is that all that's bothering you? The rain? True, it is dark and miserable out there lately, but Greg is worried about you, and for him, that's big."

"He shouldn't have...called you. I'm fine."

"No, I don't think that you are. Talk to me, Lexi. If you're depressed, I can help. Get your meds adjusted."

"It's...not that."

"What is it then?"

Lexi's lower lip trembled and then the tears came. "I'm n-nobody! I'm just...s-some l-lowlife trash from Florida. W-what does he s-see in me? W-why would he even w-want to be seen with me? I'm j-just a showgirl and a dancer who w-was forced to give my boss b-blowjobs in his office b-because I w-wouldn't turn tricks. He c-can do s-so much b-better than me. He's a b-brilliant doctor and a handsome guy. He c-could have anyone he w-wants. He doesn't n-need to be w-wasting his time with m-me."

Liz smiled. "I've heard about the infamous Greg House from the grapevine. He's a legend, and a legendary jerk, but he is brilliant, as you say. However, he wouldn't do something just to be nice. I think he genuinely cares about you or he could have just stuck you in the rehab clinic and left you there."

"M-maybe he should've just l-left me in jail to rot."

"You don't really believe that, do you? After everything you've been through?"

"W-we haven't known each other v-very long. He's n-not obligated to do anything for m-me. He d-didn't even have to do this."

"But he did. The word on the street is that Greg House cares for nothing except his Vicodin and his music."

"Yeah, s-so w-what's he doing here w-with me?"

"You'll have to ask him that. In the meantime, if you need your meds adjusted I can take care of that with Dr. Michaels."

"I told you. It's n-not my meds. I'm j-just sad."

"Lexi, I'm not going to tell Greg, if that's what you're worried about. Whatever you tell me doesn't leave this room."

Lexi's tears started again and she broke into sobs. "I m-miss my Mom. I miss Atlantic c-city and b-being in the show. I miss my friends and m-my old apartment. I'm s-scared at the idea of s-starting all over again in a s-strange place."

"A fresh start is a good thing. And you won't be alone. You'll be with Greg. You care about him, don't you?"

Lexi nodded. "I think...I m-might even be in l-love with him. W-which is ridiculous."

"What's so ridiculous about it? When two people like each other, spend a lot of time around each other like you two have, it's only natural for those kinds of feelings to emerge."

"Yeah b-but he hasn't said anything about his feelings for m-me. He even s-said w-we shouldn't act on it b-because I'm n-not ready. How d-does he know if I am or n-not?"

"If it was just sex, he would have made his move the moment he got you here, don't you think? Has anything happened between you?"

Lexi shrugged. "He...kissed me. On k-karaoke night. And then the n-next morning again. Then he s-said we sh-shouldn't do anything else b-because it was a b-bad idea. And then, w-we took the boat and w-went out onto the lake and he told m-me about his leg. We made out a b-bit on the raft and again, he s-stopped things, saying I w-wasn't ready."

"Ready for?"

"Sex." She sighed. "I really l-like him, Liz. Oh m-my God. He kisses m-me and I just...m-melt. I've n-never been kissed l-like that. N-not ever. Anyway, he c-can do better than m-me. I d-don't want to b-bring him down."

"That's his choice to make, Lexi. If he wanted nothing to do with you, he wouldn't have offered what he did."

X X X

Liz exited Lexi's bedroom two hours later and found House eating a sandwich on the patio. Despite the heavy rain, it was quite peaceful outside, the sound of the rain hitting the lake was very relaxing.

"How is she?"

"Sad. I can't tell you what we talked about, but I will say this: keep an eye on her."

"As in, she's suicidal?"

Liz shook her head. "No, I don't think that. But a little extra attention couldn't hurt. She's just sad, and I don't know how to cheer her up. I'm going to see Seth and get her meds adjusted."

House nodded and checked his watch. It was almost dinner time so he got up and went to check on Lexi. She was lying in bed, her back to him, but he knew she was awake.

"Hey," he said softly. You hungry?"

"No."

"You should be. You've hardly eaten today."

"I s-said I'm n-not hungry. G-go away and l-leave me alone."

House frowned. It seemed strange to hear her stutter that way. She'd been doing so well with it. His anger suddenly rose and he fought the urge to scream at her, and lost. "Fine!" he shouted and slammed the door closed behind him.

X X X

It was after midnight when Lexi heard Greg turn in for the night. He usually went to bed late if his leg was bothering him. The cold dampness of the cabin didn't help.

Dressed in the clothes she arrived in and after waiting several minutes, she quietly climbed out her bedroom window.

She was grateful for the new moon, as it made things nice and dark. As she made her way toward the front gates, she tripped and went sprawling. A strong hand grabbed her around the wrist. "You okay, Miss?"

She glanced up to see a burly security guard looming over her. "L-let go of me!" she hissed at him and tried to wriggle free of his grasp.

"Hold on there, I'm just trying to help you. Where did you come from?"

"I said, l-let go of m-my arm!" she yelled as she kicked him hard in the shin and managed to finally break free.

But he was just as fast and grabbed her ankle before she could run and she fell once more. With his knee in her back, he cuffed her and hauled her to her feet. "That really wasn't necessary, Miss. All you had to do was answer some simple questions, but now you're in real trouble." He began to walk with her up the path and her eyes darted around, trying to figure out where they were going.

"W-where are you taking me?"

"The main building. I think Dr. Michaels will want to see you."

X X X

"Greg! Wake up, man!" Seth's voice was the first thing he heard as he woke up from a deep sleep.

"Huh? Wha?" House opened one eye to see Seth standing next to his bed, arms crossed.

"You need to get dressed and come with me."

"Why? What's going on?"

"Lexi tried to run off."

That got his attention and House blinked the sleep out of his eyes. "She what?"

"Security guard found her wandering around and she tried to run but he stopped her and brought her to the main building.."

"Is she okay?"

"Yeah she's fine. But she won't talk."

House quickly got dressed and the two men walked across the grounds toward the main building. "I know you're mad, Greg, but yelling at her isn't going to make her feel better."

House stopped dead. "Feel better?" he shouted. "I hope you're joking, Seth. Are you seriously taking her side in this?"

"I'm not taking anyone's side. I'm just saying that if you go in there yelling like you are now, it's not going to do you or her a bit of good. If anything, you'll just end up alienating her."

"Good!" he shouted back and continued walking up the path ahead of Seth.

When Lexi saw House's face she braced herself. She knew he was really pissed off, the anger radiated off him and tension in the room was so thick, one could cut it with a knife.

She opened her mouth to speak but he held his hand up. "I'm going to make this short. What the fuck were you thinking, Lexi?" he shouted, making her wince. The man could yell, and she found herself trembling. "What was going through your mind when you thought it was a good idea to climb out your bedroom window in the fucking middle of the night? Did you have a plan? I don't imagine you did. You had no clothes except what you have on, no ID, and you sure as hell didn't have any money. Oh, and thanks for not raiding my wallet. If you had, you would have gotten away with several hundred, which tells me you didn't plan this." He leaned back against the wall and pressed the heels of his hands into his eye sockets as he groaned in frustration. "God damnit Lexi! Do you have a death wish? Is that it? Have you completely given up? What do you think we've been doing these last few weeks? Don't you want to get clean?" he demanded as he got into her face. His pupils were huge and his face was red. She'd never seen him so unhinged and it was beginning to scare her.

"Obviously not," he said, a little quieter, but his tone was still venomous. "I stuck my neck out for you. I could have just as easily locked you up in rehab at PPTH, but given your fear of hospitals, I decided to spare you that and brought you here. You had all the comforts of a nice relaxing getaway. And believe me, that's not my standard MO, but I figured if I stuck you in regular rehab, you'd bolt again. So I thought I'd spare you that. In hindsight I should have just made you stay here instead of the cabin."

She was speechless. House was not only angry, he was hurt as well. That, to Lexi, was worse than the anger. She felt like she'd failed him. A single tear rolled down her cheek and he groaned again in frustration.

"That's it. I'm out of here," he muttered as he limped toward the door while Lexi somehow found her voice.

"W-where're you going?"

"Back to the cabin. You're staying here for awhile. Maybe spending the remainder of your time here will make you appreciate what you had."

"N-no...Greg," she pleaded as she quickly got off the bed. "D-don't leave me here..." She was gripping his shirt but he pried her hands away.

"Bye, Lexi." He opened the door and quickly left, locking it behind him.

"Greg?" Lexi cried, tears falling faster as she tried the door, but it was locked as before. "Greg!" When it was clear he wasn't coming back, she threw herself onto the bed and buried her face in the pillow, sobbing herself to sleep.


	12. Out With the Old, In With the New

_**A/N: Still have the cold, but it's marginally better than it was last week. Thanks for all the well-wishes :) Hopefully it'll be over by the weekend. Sorry for lack of updates. My laptop is now dead and I'm trying to figure out what kind I want to replace it with. I'm using the desktop PC now.  
**_

* * *

**Chapter 12**

Liz was called in first thing in the morning to deal with a very broken down Lexi. Seth had been pretty cryptic on the phone but once she arrived, he filled her in on Lexi's delicate state.

"I had a feeling this was going to happen. Where is she now?"

"I have her in a private room. It was better for all that way."

"Where's Dr. House?"

"At the cabin. I don't know what he said to her last night but it obviously wasn't good. She's a total mess. I know the guy. He can be nasty when he wants to be."

Liz nodded. "So the story goes. I'm going to talk to her. You take Dr. House."

"Gotcha."

She let herself into Lexi's room and found her curled up in the fetal position, blankets strewn everywhere but on the bed.

"Wake up. Today is the first day of the rest of your life," Liz said sternly as she moved across the room and tore open the curtains so sunlight flooded the room.

Lexi groaned and winced. "Go away."

"Nope. Not doing that. Get up. We're going for a walk, Lexi. You need some fresh air and we need to have a serious talk."

"He...left me."

"I know. And honestly, I can't say that I blame the man after the stunt you pulled." She grabbed the clothes that were hanging on the chair and tossed them to Lexi. "Get dressed."

Lexi decided it was probably a good idea to obey the woman and did as she was told. Then they headed outside.

"I think you're a strong woman, Lexi. You just had a bad start in life. But you got your shit together, got out of a bad situation at home, moved away, found your calling and became a showgirl in a top Atlantic City casino, despite the stuttering, which you've now managed to overcome."

"Thanks to you," Lexi smiled.

"You're the one who made the effort. I simply gave you the tools necessary. Where was I? Oh yeah, you ran out of money, got sick, ended up dancing in some club and working for a guy whom you thought you trusted. He made you a victim, and it's not your fault. You did what you had to do. Then Dr. House stepped in. I think you let him down when you tried to run off. He had a lot of faith in you, but you didn't have any in yourself and it scared you to death. So you ran. I think we can help you learn to trust again, Lexi. I know you want to be the woman you were before your life started turning to shit. But you have to be willing to change. Are you?"

Lexi nodded. "I'm clean now and I want to stay that way. I'd like to get back to the entertainment industry, too."

Liz smiled. "One thing at a time, Lexi. Let's work on getting that self esteem back, shall we? Now, here's what we're going to do..."

X X X

Seth stood on the dock and waited patiently for House to row the boat to shore. "We need to talk, Greg."

"What about?" House snapped as he climbed out of the boat and brushed past Seth.

"Lexi's been asking for you."

"Oh, so now she cares?"

"What the hell did you say to her last night?"

"Nothing she didn't deserve."

"Well whatever it was, it must have been pretty bad. I had to sedate her."

House stopped in his tracks and turned around quickly, almost causing Seth to bump into him.

"Why?"

"She was hysterical! Whatever you said upset her so much she wasn't eating, wasn't sleeping."

House looked concerned for a second, but it was quickly replaced with contempt. "I guess I should've just admitted her in your care the entire time and stayed here by myself. Did I screw things up or what?"

"I don't know yet. Liz is with her now. I do know she's scared."

House snorted. "Of what?"

"I think she's in love with you, Greg."

"Right. That's why she tried to ditch me. Sorry, buddy. Not buyin it."

"She wasn't ditching you."

"Then what do you call it?"

"She thinks she's worthless."

"Then she's an idiot."

"It's up to you to tell her she's not!"

"How am I supposed to do that?"

"That's up to you. Here's an idea. Talk to her."

"What do you want me to say? Do you expect me to just forget everything and move on?"

"That's a start."

"Why did she run off?"

Seth grimaced. "Liz is too ethical for her own good. She wouldn't elaborate, but the feeling I got is that Lexi doesn't think she deserves you and that you can do much better. You're a great doctor, Greg. I know it, and she knows it, and she thinks she'd just be baggage. She doesn't think too highly of herself having to be a dancer in a club to get by."

"She's not just a dancer," House mumbled as he went to the cupboard and brought out a bottle of fine Scotch. "Drink?"

"Sure."

He poured them both a glass and they took it outside and sat on the porch. "So you were saying?" Seth urged. "About her not just being a dancer."

"She's better than that. She was an Atlantic City showgirl. Dancing and performing are in her blood. Her mom was apparently a Ballerina. World Famous."

"Yeah I know. Or better yet, my wife does. Damn shame what happened to her."

"What did happen to Lexi's mother?"

"Didn't Lexi tell you? Cancer. She went quickly. She was young, too. Not yet fifty. According to my wife, she made the announcement that she was retiring from the profession, and then a year later, she was gone."

"Damn."

"You know it. I managed to talk to Lexi. She told me about her home life after that and how she had to get out of there."

"Did she mention any...abuse?"

Seth arched an eyebrow. "Are you referring to sexual abuse? No. Just that her stepbrother and sister were awful and her stepfather was a deadbeat. He let it happen and was just as nasty to her. Can't blame her for wanting out. Although talking to her now, unless she's upset, she barely stutters at all. Even compared to a week ago, Greg. It's amazing."

"Liz was amazing with her."

"So were you." Seth sat forward in his chair and looked House square in the eye. "I know you have feelings for her. Hell, you wouldn't have even stayed here so don't play the "I don't care" act with me, pal. It might have been years since we've seen each other but you're still Greg House. You haven't changed that much except that you've got a limp. Big deal. Lexi needs you, and I think you need her. She needs a friend more than anything else."

"You're starting to sound like my friend, Wilson," House smirked as he tossed back the rest of his drink, letting the ice clink at the bottom of the glass.

"He must be smart," Seth grinned. "So...the question is, are you still mad at her for taking off?"

"Not mad so much as...confused. Hurt. I still don't know why she did it. I thought things were going well. Then it seemed like she did a 180 degree turn and everything went to hell."

"Well believe me, she's sorry she did it. Her mind was in a bad place, Greg. She'll be on antidepressants for awhile but they seem to be making her feel better. When she came here a month ago, she was sad. Now she's not so much anymore. But she wants you."

House thought about it. He'd had days to mull over things and he knew he missed her. _Maybe they could start over? As friends._ Maybe it was better to keep things platonic if she was going to be working for him.

X X X

Lexi lay on her bed staring up at the ceiling. Seth said she was cleared to leave and that he was going to talk to Greg. Part of her was thrilled to be able to leave. Not that everyone hadn't been amazing at the center. She would highly recommend the place to anyone in need of rehab, that was for sure.

The other part of her was apprehensive about seeing Greg. He hadn't been to see her since he left her five days ago and she missed him. Missed his blue eyes, the way they stared so intensely at her, stared right through her. They were so blue it was almost frightening.

If that wasn't enough, his lips did things to her, made her body react in ways that she'd never imagined. She longed for just one look at him, one touch, no matter how brief, to catch a whiff of his own personal scent, also intoxicating.

The door opened and she sat up, as Seth walked into the room. Alone.

Her face fell.

"Oh, don't look so sad, Lexi," Seth chuckled as he stepped aside to let Greg in.

He was staring at her, his eyes looked tired and had circles under them.

"You look like crap," he said, but he didn't sound angry anymore. That was one point in her favour.

"Talk about the pot calling the kettle black," she said all in one breath, causing Greg to look totally shocked and surprised. She could've sworn she saw a quick smile, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared.

"Well, Lexi," Seth spoke up, clapping his hands together with excitement. "You're free to go."

She was surprised at this news, and it showed on her face. "Today? Really?"

"Yes. Liz and I both feel you're ready. She'd be here herself but she was called away on an emergency. But she'll be in touch for follow-up sessions. I assume you'll be going back to Princeton?"

Lexi glanced at Greg and he simply nodded. "That was the plan. Unless you've changed your mind," he said, looking rather stoic.

"No we're still on."

"Then let's go. I have to get back to the hospital. Got a patient."

They said their good-byes to Seth and headed out to Greg's Galaxie. It was a hot day so the top was down. They drove in silence for awhile and then he pulled into a Starbucks drive-thru.

"Ice tea? Frapp?"

"Peppermint mocha frapp. Thanks," she smiled at him.

When the drinks were ordered, they waited until they reached the window. There were three cars ahead of them. "I'm sorry, Greg," she said quietly, not able to stand the silence any longer.

"What for?"

"For being an idiot and thinking that running off was a good idea. I just...didn't want to drag you down. You're going to make something of yourself. You're already well on your way."

"It's lonely at the top," he chuckled as his car inched forward. "You need to go shopping for some new stuff. If I'm going to show you off, you need to look good."

"I was thinking about that," she nodded. "I'd like to go back to my old apartment and get some things. Providing the landlord hasn't burned all my stuff by now."

"He hasn't."

Lexi looked at him curiously. "How do you know that?"

"I called him."

"What?"

"I found the receipt of your last rent payment in your purse so I called the manager, told him you won't be coming back except to pick up your stuff."

She blinked. "You went through my purse?"

Greg laughed. "What? That shocks you?"

"That's my personal property!"

"Actually the cops went through it first. So I learned by example."

She looked like she didn't know whether to be pissed off or shocked.

"You don't have any other clothes," he pointed out. "We can swing by on our way to Princeton."

"That's hardly a 'swing by', Greg. It's like, what? Three hours from here? And you know, you can trust me. I don't need you by my side 24/7."

Greg laughed. "Sorry, but due to recent events, I have to disagree. What's the big deal? We go in, get your crap and get out. It shouldn't be an issue whether I come or not, should it?"

"I thought you said you had to get back to your patient."

"She'll survive an extra couple hours without me there. Got any other lame excuses as to why you don't want me to come with you?"

"Don't you get it?"

"No, I don't," he said as he pulled up to the window, got their drinks and paid. "What exactly is the problem?"

"I don't want you to see where I live, okay?" The words all came out so fast, she couldn't stop them, or how desperate she sounded.

"What?" he laughed, incredulously as he glanced at her. "Why? Do you think I care? Besides, you're not going to live there anymore so it doesn't really matter what I think."

"I know, but..."

"But nothing. You won't be able to move forward until you put the past behind you. Isn't that what Liz said?"

Lexi sighed in defeat and threw her hands up. "Fine. Let's go and get this over with."


	13. Moving Forward

_**A/N: Well, my cold is just about gone so YAY! It only took 2 weeks! Thanks again for the reviews and for the well wishes :) On we go...**_

* * *

Chapter 13

Since it was a Sunday, traffic into Manhattan was fairly light and they made it just before noon. However, the closer they got to their destination, the more anxious Lexi became, and she knew Greg would be able to pick up on it.

He reached over and covered her hand with his. "We're just going to go in, get your stuff and leave. We won't be long," he assured her.

Lexi nodded and gave him directions to her building. He found a spot right in front and she felt very apprehensive. She was going to be leaving her old life behind and it was hard to get used to the idea. Greg promised to take care of her and she knew he'd make good on that. He hadn't lied to her yet. Still, she was nervous just the same. Her apartment was, in her opinion, a shit hole. She was ashamed of it, and she knew Greg knew it, and yet he was adamant in coming with her. Why, she didn't know. It was a part of her life that she wasn't proud of, and she didn't want him to have to see what it was like for her.

X X X

"C'mon," he said as he got out of the car and opened the door for her. "The manager knows you're coming. He won't give you any trouble."

Lexi led him to the dingy elevator and they went up to the fourth floor. Since it was still summer, it was hotter than hell, and very stuffy.

"Jesus..it's like a sauna up here," he muttered as he followed her to the end of the hall. He heard people shouting, babies crying and he could smell whatever people were cooking. The blended sounds and smells made his stomach turn.

She unlocked the door and went in, hit with a blast of heat from the windows being shut for so long.

"It's not much but..." she said, apologetically, as she stepped aside to let him in. The place was indeed a dive, but it wasn't a mess. Still, he was sure it violated several health codes. He made it a point not to touch anything, and considered adding a tetanus shot to his list of things to do when he returned to the hospital.

"Don't worry about it. Need help?"

"No, thanks. I can manage. Have a seat, I won't be long."

She disappeared into her bedroom, and he found a plain kitchen chair to sit on while he waited. Movement from the corner caught his eye and he saw a black rat scurrying across the floor.

"Jesus...how the hell did she do it?" he muttered under his breath. "Done yet?" he called out.

"Done," she said as she came into the living room with a duffel bag slung over one shoulder and a garbage bag full of stuff.

"That's everything?"

"Yep. Let's roll."

She locked up, gave the keys to the manager and tossed everything in the trunk of Greg's car. As he drove away, she fought the urge not to look back.

X X X

PPTH was quiet for a Sunday and the first thing Greg did was make Lexi comfortable in his office while he went to check on his patient. When he returned, he wasn't alone. There were two people, a woman and a man with him.

The woman looked to be in her late thirties and had long, straight brown hair and a tiny figure. She wore a white coat, but underneath was a tight sweater, a black pencil skirt and 4 inch heels.

The man looked like he was closer to Greg's age, maybe a little younger, clean-cut with big brown eyes and a handsome face. He smiled at Lexi and she thought he seemed familiar, but she couldn't remember why.

"Lexi, this is Dr. Lisa Cuddy, the Dean of Medicine, and this is Dr. James Wilson, assistant head of Oncology. This is Lexi Vakakis. I'm hiring her to be my assistant for awhile."

Lexi smiled at both of them and shook their offered hands. It was then she remembered Greg telling her about Dr. Cuddy and how she was Party Pants, and when she shook James Wilson's hand, she remembered him from the night club in Atlantic City last year.

"It's nice to meet you, Dr's Cuddy and Wilson." Then she turned to Cuddy. "Thank you for allowing me to assist Greg."

Cuddy smiled. "It's no problem. He needs an assistant and claims everyone I've sent him so far has been a total moron. So if he hand-picked you, you must have impressed him."

"I hope I can live up to his expectations."

"All you have to do is answer the phone and my emails. It's not rocket science," Greg shrugged. "Anyway, patient's stable for tonight. I'll be back in the morning to check on her again."

Dr. Cuddy handed some forms to Lexi. "Please fill these out and bring them back with you tomorrow when you come in. Human resources needs them done."

Lexi nodded. "Thanks again, Dr. Cuddy."

"Good luck," Dr. Wilson said with a smile. "You're going to need all the luck you can get with House as your boss."

X X X

House and Lexi arrived at the apartment and he ordered pizza in while she brought her things in from the car. It only took two trips, but she was exhausted. When the pizza arrived, she was almost asleep, stretched out on the couch, causing the pizza guy to gawk at her. However, one angry glare from House sent him scampering away.

He nudged her foot as he walked by and she sat up to eat.

"I guess we should talk," he said as he bit into his slice.

"What about?"

"Well, at the hospital, it's better if you call me House. Everyone does."

"Okay. What else?"

"If we're going to be roomies, I think it would be best if we keep things just...as friends."

Lexi didn't look happy, and at first she didn't say anything. "So all that talk, at the cabin, was just that?"

"No, but I think we need to re-evaluate the situation. Some couples can live together but can't work together, and vice versa. If it turns out we can do both, then yeah, maybe a relationship is worth exploring."

"I'm not going to be working for you indefinitely," she pointed out. "When I save up enough money I want to see if I can get my old job back."

"That reminds me, you still need to do that glucose tolerance test. Tomorrow morning before you start work."

"Don't I have to be in the lab for three hours?"

"No, I can draw the blood in my office at hourly intervals."

Lexi pouted. "Is it really necessary? I haven't had one of those spells in months."

"I just want to rule out anything it might be. If you pass, you'll never have to take the test again."

"Never?"

"Well, unless you get pregnant. Which leads me to ask, are you on the pill, or the patch? Any kind of birth control?"

Lexi's eyes widened. "No. Should I be?"

House shrugged. "Just trying to rule things out. I know you're not a smoker. Any history of stroke? Heart attack, liver, kidney issues?"

"Not that I know of."

"Any other history I should know about?"

Lexi went quiet and he glanced at her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing is always something."

"My mom died of cancer."

"What kind?"

"Pancreatic. She went pretty quickly."

House nodded. "That type is hard to diagnose because it's hard to spot right away. Most people don't realize they have it until it's too late. What about your dad?"

"He died when I was three. Drunk driver."

"Sorry."

"It's okay. It was ages ago. I don't remember him."

"When did your stepfather come into the picture?"

"When I was twelve. He treated my mother well, so that's the only reason I tolerated him, for her sake. When she wasn't around, he pretty much just ignored me, but he stuck up for me when his kids teased me. Then after Mom died, he just stopped caring and it was open season on me." He curled her legs under and she had a faraway look in her eyes. "Ya know, I thought I'd developed a thick skin over the years, what with being picked on in school because of my stuttering. But it never ceases to amaze me how cruel people can be towards someone who's different, even in adulthood."

House nodded. "Some people never grow up, and they have their own insecurities so they pick on someone with an obvious weakness and they know just where to poke the sharp stick. It sucks, but that's the way the world turns. You either shut up and take it, or you learn to fight back."

"I just left. I'd had enough and it was obvious they weren't going to let up."

"At least you made something of yourself."

Lexi snorted. "Yeah, a coke addict hooked on Valium who was forced to blow her boss. That's something to write home about."

"Hey," House said as he took her chin in his hand and held her face up until it was level with his. Her emerald green eyes were mesmerizing, and for a moment, he lost his train of thought. He cleared his throat and started again. "That's not who you are. Not anymore. That chapter in your life is closed."

Lexi turned her head, refusing to look back at him, but he turned her head again and made eye contact once more. "Say it. That's not my life anymore."

"That's not my life anymore," she said, somewhat weakly.

He shook his head, not satisfied. "Again. With feeling."

Her voice was much stronger the second time. "That's not my life anymore."

House fought the urge to kiss her. He really did. She looked so sad, yet so hopeful at the same time. Hopeful for what, he wasn't sure. Perhaps hopeful for the future? That would certainly make sense.

"Things can only get better from here," he said softly as he took her face in his hands and caressed her cheek with his thumb. "You know that, right?"

She nodded, still maintaining eye contact. It seemed he wasn't the only expert at stare downs. With his thumbs still caressing her cheeks, he leaned in and softly brushed his lips against hers. It was ridiculous, but for some strange reason, it felt like it was the first kiss. It was as if the last month had crumbled away and everything was brand new again. He was tasting her for the first time and she was responding with the same reluctance.

It was almost as if Lexi could sense it as well, and was proceeding with caution.

When he moved away from her, he could see her eyes were full of questions. "That was nice," she said softly, a slight smile forming on her lips.

"Yeah."

"What now?" she asked him, her lips hovering over his.

"I don't know."

"Don't you?" She raised an eyebrow and he chuckled.

"Let's just take things one day at a time. Okay?"

Lexi seemed pleased with that answer and sat back. "Okay."

* * *

_**A/N: Fun times ahead :) I've made you guys wait long enough.**_


	14. Let the Cat out of the Bag

_**A/N: I'm going to be wrapping this up sooner than planned. Only because I have another fic in mind that's begging to get written and I really can't do 3 fics at the same time. I don't want this one to suffer. So, that's a heads up. In the meantime...**_

* * *

**Chapter 14**

_One month later..._

"Need those files _yesterday_..." Greg called out over his shoulder as he limped into his office.

"I put them on your desk _yesterday_, House!" Lexi shouted from her desk. "What you did with them is not my problem."

"Oh yeah? If you put them on my desk then where are they?"

"Damned if I know. Your desk looks like a bomb went off half the time."

"It's _your_ job to make sure it doesn't look like that."

"Riiiiight. The last time I tried to clean your desk you damn near bit my head off. No way am I going to attempt that again. Clean your own desk. If you do, you'll find the files."

Greg made a face when her back was turned and she called out. "I saw that."

"Like hell! Got eyes in the back of your head, woman?"

"One has to, to be able to deal with you. Cuddy and I talk, you know."

"Oh God...you've bonded," he groaned as he flopped down into his chair and went through his things.

Lexi watched him through the glass window as he sifted through the pile on his desk and smiled to herself when he located the files. He glanced up at her, saw her looking, and rolled his eyes. It was another usual day working for the great Dr. House.

All in all, things were good. Of course, they weren't in the beginning. Since she'd never worked in an office environment a day in her life, it was a very bumpy road. When it looked like Greg was at the end of his rope, Dr. Cuddy or Dr. Wilson stepped in to help her. Lexi had a new respect for both of them, and wondered how they dealt with him every single day.

He was always pulling something over on someone. Be it a radical procedure on a patient or breaking into a patient's home to find the answer because, as he put it so bluntly, "everybody lies."

The amazing thing was, that despite all that, he was almost always right, and it drove her insane. In fact, it was Lisa Cuddy's words of advice which stopped her from dropping everything and walking out of PPTH for good.

"_He'll respect you a lot more if you stand up to him. Oh, and don't kiss his ass. That's what he expects you to do.__"_

Lexi sighed and went back to work. Greg had given her the mundane task of transcribing his dictations and she astounded him by her whirlwind typing speed.

"Where did you learn to type that fast?"

"We might've been poor, but we did have a computer. And I took keyboarding in school."

"Well la-dee-dah," Greg said flippantly.

That was their work relationship. At home, it was an entirely different story. It was as if they were best friends and roommates, rather than the lovers she hoped they'd be. Unfortunately, she didn't know how to change the situation.

X X X

"Ya know, everyone at the hospital thinks we're sleeping together." Lexi's nonchalant way of delivering that sentence felt like a punch to House's gut. He almost didn't notice the light turning from orange to red, and he slammed on the brakes.

"What did you say?" he asked, turning to look at her.

"I said, everyone thinks we're sleeping together."

"Why would they think that? Did you say something?"

Lexi looked shocked, and then hurt. "No! I didn't. But come on, Greg. We live together, have been for the last month. Naturally people are going to come to those kinds of conclusions. And that hospital is a hotbed of sex and debauchery. Everyone is sleeping with everyone. It's worse than that stupid soap you watch every day."

"General Hospital is not stupid!"

She laughed. "Right. Okay. If you say so. My point is, it's not an unreasonable assumption."

"Just because a man and a woman live under the same roof, doesn't mean they're having sex."

"True, but people will still speculate. Of course it doesn't help our case when we have lunch together every other day and rarely argue. That just adds fuel to the fire."

"So what do you think we should do? Do you want me to pick fights with you?"

"Not particularly," she said dryly as he pulled up in front of his apartment building.

"Lexi," he said as they got out of the car. "I don't care what people say about me. If they want to believe that I'm giving you an extra bonus after hours, let them."

She went into the house and immediately went to the kitchen to start dinner. "Spaghetti okay for dinner?" she called out.

"Yeah it's fine. Don't forget the meatballs," Greg called back as he got changed. As he sat on the bed to take off his shoes, he stopped and smiled.

They'd gotten into quite a comfortable, domestic routine and he liked it. As suspected, she was very easy to live with, and she was a great cook.

Did he mind that people thought he was sleeping with her? Hell no! In fact, it made him wonder why he'd been putting it off. Sure, he was the one to suggest they wait, but apparently everyone else didn't seem to think it was platonic.

So what was he waiting for?

"Ouch! Fuck!" he heard Lexi shout from the kitchen. He quickly threw on another shirt as he limped down the hall.

"What happened?"

"I b-burned myself. I d-didn't think the pot handle w-would be s-so hot."

"You're stuttering. Deep breaths. Let me look at it," he said as he reached for her hand, but she wouldn't let him see.

"It'll be fine."

"Leave it to the doctor to decide."

"Greg," she whined as he took her hand forcefully and examined it.

"It's not bad. I'm going to get some Polysporin. Run it under cold water, I'll be right back."

House went and got his first-aid kit from the bathroom and returned. "Sit down."

Lexi winced as he put ointment on the burn, covered it with gauze and taped it. It amazed her how quick but gentle he was as he worked. When he was done, he gently kissed the bandage. "There."

Their eyes locked and he swallowed hard. "I'll get you some Tylenol for the pain," he said as he got up.

"No, I can get it," she said as she also got up and they collided with each other. House grabbed the nearby counter for support, trapping her between him as he fell against her, pressing her back against the ledge. "Oww," she hissed as her hip dug into the sharp corner.

House reached down and rubbed her hip. "Are you okay?"

"I think so." Her hands rested on his chest and their eyes met again. It had been happening between them a lot lately, at home and at the hospital. He'd patronize her, she'd mock him and then the stare down would begin until one of them looked away first.

But this time, neither of them had any intention of backing down or looking away.

"Y-you..."

House held his hand up to silence her. "Deep breath out..." he instructed, reminding her of her breathing techniques.

Lexi took a deep breath in and then let it out while she started again, earning a nod of encouragement. "You once said," she spoke, somewhat weakly, "that if things worked out at the hospital, and here, that we'd look into starting an actual relationship."

House arched an eyebrow. "Did I?"

"Yes. It's been a month now. Time to pay the piper, so to speak."

"You want to date? Fine," he shrugged. "After dinner we'll go out."

"Out where?"

"A movie? Bowling?"

Lexi laughed as she stirred the spaghetti sauce in the pot. "You bowl?"

"It's been a long time. Do you?"

"No."

"A movie then?"

"Sure. What's playing these days?"

"I guess we just go and take our chances. Ever been to a drive-in?"

"If all you want to do is make out while watching a movie we can do that here," Lexi grinned. The very idea of steaming up the car windows in his Galaxie was a turn-on in itself. He knew there was another reason he chose that car, other than the fact that it was made the year he was born. The front and back seats were very roomy.

"No, you want to go on a date, let's go on a date."

"Fine."

"Good."

X X X

It was a cold, but clear October night when House pulled up to the drive-in entrance and paid the admission. The only movie playing was _Legally Blonde_ and House figured if it was lame, at least they could make out.

He pulled out his wallet and handed her a twenty. "Go get us some popcorn and Cokes."

Lexi rolled her eyes as she took the money and climbed out of the car. Ten minutes later she returned with a tray of popcorn and drinks.

"Where's your popcorn?" House asked her as he reached for the large tub and put it on his lap.

She arched her eyebrow at him. "Greg! You can't be serious. You're going to eat that whole thing yourself?"

"Uh..yeah."

"I got the big one so we could _share_ it."

House tried to look put out but he shrugged and put the tub back inside the tray. "Fine. Have it your way."

"Smart man."

They watched the movie, and House had to admit that he was enjoying it. However, he wished that she'd sit closer. There was no console between the front seats so it wasn't like she couldn't. When the intermission came, they both used the rest room and House grabbed a bag of M&M's on his way back to the car, earning an excited squeal from Lexi.

"If you want some, you'll have to sit closer."

"Slick, Greg," she clicked her tongue but moved to sit next to him, curling her legs under her. When she reached to grab an M&M from the bag, House playfully slapped her hand away.

"Mine."

"What? You'll share popcorn but not M&M's?"

"I went and got them."

"So? I got the popcorn," she pointed out.

"Lexi?"

"What?"

"Shut up," he said before he kissed her. And it was no gentle kiss, either, but she seemed to have no problem giving as good as she got and before long, they were locked in a heated embrace. The M&M's were long forgotten as House had pulled her onto his lap so she was sitting on his good leg.

God, but he loved to kiss her, and it appeared she loved to kiss him just as much, if her exploring tongue was any indication.

The windows didn't take long to steam up. His hands were everywhere, exploring under her shirt, deftly unhooking her bra at the back so he had access to her breasts. "Oh God..." she moaned as he pushed her shirt up and began licking her already hardened nipple while his thumb teased the other one.

"Mmm, Lexi, so sexy," he chuckled between kisses and nibbles to her breasts.

She giggled and began unbuttoning his shirt. She pushed it off his shoulders and slid her hands under his T-shirt to feel his skin.

Their lips still locked, they didn't come up for air until a loud knock on the driver's side window jolted them out of their embrace.

"Get a room, will ya? There're kids here!" a gruff voice called out through the window.

House grunted his amusement and looked at Lexi. "He has the right idea."

"Yes he does. But the movie's not over yet. We can't just leave."

"Well I sure as hell can't drive like this," House said as he bucked his hips against her core, showing his very obvious arousal.

Lexi climbed off of his lap and he figured that their play time was over. That is, until she unzipped his jeans and his erection sprang free through the opening in his boxers. Before he knew what was happening, her lips were around his cock and her hand gripped its base.

"Ohhh...fuuuuuck," he groaned and threw his head back.

She was very good at it and he was already close to the finish line, moaning her name over and over as she took him deep in her throat, still stroking with her hand.

"Lexi...I'm...I'm gonna..."

She looked up at him, with his cock in her mouth, and he completely lost it. His hand buried in her hair as he gave a few thrusts and he let out a deep groan as she took all he had to give. When he was done, she sat up and helped him back into his pants without another word, leaving House to his own thoughts. He only had one thing on his mind. _"Oh man...I'm in trouble."_


	15. Carnal Knowledge

_**A/N: Sorry to make you wait. It's been a busy week what with 2 birthdays to celebrate and then a round of food poisoning. Yeah, it's just not my month :P Anyway, here's some smex to make up for it ;) Thanks for reading :)**_

* * *

**Chapter 15**

House drove back to Princeton with Lexi sitting close to him, her hand on his thigh, rubbing gently. It felt good, even if it was mildly distracting. In his head he was imagining all manner of things he was going to do to her when they got home. He was certainly going to return the favour, and then some.

As soon as he pulled up in front of the apartment, Lexi jumped out of the car and headed for the door with House laughing as he limped quickly after her. Once inside, he pushed her up against the back of the door, locked it, and pulled her into his arms as his lips crashed against hers.

The kiss was electric. His lips were warm and sweet, making them soft to the touch as he kissed her. He nibbled her lower lip and her mouth opened under his to accept his tongue. She groaned as his hand slid down her back, and he realized that she hadn't fastened her bra from earlier.

"So beautiful," he murmured between kisses as he moved to nibble her ear and nuzzle her neck, noticing that her skin was pink and blotchy. "Your neck's all red."

"It's...very sensitive. It...doesn't take much."

House smiled wickedly and went back to kissing her neck, his tongue tracing invisible patterns on her throat as his hands worked their way underneath her T-shirt. When she felt his hands playing with her breasts, she moaned loudly.

"Oh! Greg!"

"Like that?"

"Yesssss," she hissed, throwing her head back as he devoured her neck again.

"Bedroom. Now," he grunted as he stepped back and led her down the hall to his room. He gave her a gentle shove so she fell onto the bed and climbed onto it next to her.

Then he pushed her shirt up and fastened his mouth on one of her breasts, teasing her nipples with his tongue. "Ohhh.."

House was relentless in his torture. He would suckle and lick until she begged him not to stop, and then he'd back off and move on to something else. He seemed to enjoy bringing her to the edge and back until she was writhing against him, begging.

"Please..." she groaned as he yanked her T-shirt off and slid a hand down over her flat stomach. "Unnghh..."

His mouth and hands were everywhere at once, groping, nipping, biting and kissing until she thought she would come just from that.

"Where do you like to be touched?" he whispered against her lips.

"Anywhere," Lexi managed to say. "It all...feels so good."

He bent his head to kiss her stomach and paused when he got to the waistband of her jeans.

She watched as he pulled them off and tossed them on the floor. All she had left were her white lace panties which he also removed, leaving her naked and vulnerable to him.

House smiled up at her and then back at her dark patch of curly hair. He ran his fingers over it, dipped a finger between her folds and smiled when he discovered how wet she was. He began kissing his way back up her body as his fingers continued to stroke her most sensitive spot.

Lexi arched her back when he inserted a finger inside and they groaned together. "So tight," he whispered between kisses as he added another finger and slowly began to pump them in and out of her.

"Oh...my God..." she groaned as she threw her legs wider and thrust against his hand.

House was shocked when she screamed his name and a hot flood of her juices exploded all over his fingers and the comforter beneath them. Her whole body had tensed up so much she simply collapsed.

He couldn't believe his eyes. Lexi was a screamer and a squirter to boot. He'd hit the proverbial jackpot and he'd only used his hand. She was also the most amazing kisser he'd ever met, but with her gorgeous mouth, he wasn't the least bit surprised. She proved she was very talented at the drive-in.

She came around, blinked a couple of times and looked at him with a goofy smile on her face. "I think...you're right."

"About what?"

"We're in trouble," she grinned.

"Yeah," he said as he gently caressed her leg. It was long and smooth to the touch and he felt her shudder in response. "Cold?"

"A little."

"Get into bed then," he said as he pulled the covers back.

Before she realized what was happening, he had stripped down and was climbing onto the bed with her, and she giggled as he pulled her underneath him and pinned her arms down.

He kissed her hungrily, and she moaned as his tongue swirled against hers.

_Oh God__ but she wanted him so badly!_ Her hands buried in his hair as he playfully began kissing her neck, her throat and then skipped her breasts all together to kiss her stomach and tongue her belly button.

"Greg!" she groaned as she arched her back. It was a strange sensation, the way he used his tongue, swirling around her belly button like he had all the time in the world. And it drove her crazy.

"Hmm?" he murmured as he moved up her body and took one of her nipples hungrily into his mouth, nipping and suckling it until it was a hard bud.

"Oh God...that feels...soooo good."

He moved over to the other breast as his hands slid along her arms, all the way out to her hands. Their fingers interlaced as his lips returned to her mouth, peppering her with deep, passionate open mouth kisses that left her lips numb and tingling. He was an excellent kisser and she found it amazing how she could be so aroused by his kisses alone.

She fell back against the pillows when his hands released hers to explore lower and his lips found their way back down to her centre. His fingers parted her folds and his tongue gave one slow tentative lick.

"Oh! Yes!" she squealed.

Greg licked a few more times. Long strokes with lots of pressure until she was gripping the sheets and squirming wildly once again.

He blindly reached for the drawer in the night stand and grabbed a box of condoms. Lexi took it from him and he continued his assault with his tongue as she fumbled with the box and took one out. Greg snatched it out of her hand, tore the packet open with his teeth and dressed himself quickly. Lexi surprised him by rolling him onto his back and straddling him.

They both moaned together when their bodies finally joined and she froze in place for a moment, adjusting to his size. He felt so good inside her that she swore out loud. "Oh, fuck, Greg!"

She looked down at him and his eyes were closed, savoring the moment for all it was worth. She placed kisses all over his face as his hands slid up and down her back while she began to move up and down on him.

"Greg!" she groaned his name over and over as she moved faster, her hands planted firmly on his chest.

"Fuck...Lexi," he moaned, bucking his hips with each of her thrusts. His hands slid down to her ass and held her in place. "You feel so...fucking amazing..."

"Ungghhh," she groaned as she moved faster, and then lost it when Greg began playing with her clit, rubbing his thumb against it in a circular motion. "Oh! Oh...yessssss...Oh my God, Greg! I'm coming!"

He smiled, looking pleased with her response and he rubbed harder as she moved faster, screaming and moaning his name the entire time.

They both hit their peak at the same time and Lexi collapsed on him, both of them out of breath, bathed in sweat and laughing.

"I can only imagine...what Liz is going to say about this," Lexi said, still out of breath.

Greg propped his chin in his hand and looked at her. "Why tell her at all?"

"When she...sees the shit-eating grin on...my face she'll figure it out," she panted.

"Do you think she'll disapprove?"

Lexi shrugged. "She might. I mean...I'm here to get my life back together, not to get fucked senseless by my boss slash roommate."

Greg smiled wickedly. "When I fuck you senseless, you'll know it, Lexi."

X X X

Lexi warily opened one eye and then the other. Greg out cold, sound asleep next to her with his arm thrown protectively across her stomach. His face was nearly buried in the pillow and she was amazed he could even breathe at all.

She didn't want to move, she really didn't. It was cold in the apartment and she wanted to stay in his nice warm bed, but she had to pee. As she slowly extracted herself from Greg, he grunted and then rolled onto his back, still in a deep sleep.

When she returned, his eyes were open and he was staring up at the ceiling. "It's freezing in here," he said finally. "Go turn the heat up a little and come back to bed."

Lexi scampered into the hall to adjust the thermostat and climbed back under the warm covers. "Greg, we have to get up and go to work soon."

"Hmmm," he grumbled. "You're right. Fuck."

"Aww don't be that way," she giggled and traced invisible patterns on his chest. "It's not like you're going to miss me. We work in the same office."

"That's not the point. I'm not done with you yet," he grinned as he began placing hot kisses all over her neck and throat, leaving very visible marks behind.

"Well then I suggest you do your clinic hours first and get them done so you can go home early."

"Now that sounds like a great idea. Will you cook for me?"

Lexi propped her chin against his chest. "What do you want?"

"Anything you cook is good."

"Excellent answer," she giggled and kissed his cheek before she got up.

X X X

"You look...almost happy," Wilson observed as House stood outside on his balcony.

"Do I?"

"Yeah. What's up?"

"Nothing right now," House replied with an over exaggerated wink. Wilson blinked and looked astounded.

"You and Lexi...?"

"Yep."

"Seriously?"

"Yep."

"When?"

"Last night."

"Wow! This is...big."

"It's not a big deal. And I'd appreciate you keeping this quiet."

"Why? Are you ashamed of it?"

"What? No!"

"Then why keep it a secret? What does this all mean? Are you in love with her?"

"I don't know what I am. Things just...suddenly turned another direction. It happens. Now we need to talk about it, and we don't need people giving us their brand of advice, or scaring off Lexi while we sort things out."

"Somehow I don't think anything scares Lexi."

House had to admit Wilson had a good point. Lexi was indeed fearless. "Well...just the same, keep quiet for now."

"Keep quiet about what?" Lexi asked as she breezed through the door and came outside to join them. "Hey, Jimmy."

Wilson nodded. "Lexi. Well, I have an appointment in a few minutes. Have a good weekend guys."

Once he was gone, she smiled shyly at House. "What was that about?"

"Oh just guy talk. You know."

She laughed. "You told him, didn't you?"

House looked a little uncomfortable with that. "He sort of dragged it out of me. He promised not to tell anyone."

Lexi shrugged. "I don't care if he does. I've seen the way women look at you, Greg. I'd be the envy of the hospital and I'd be lying if I said I didn't like that just a little."

House cocked a grin and pulled her into his arms. "Now that's probably the hottest thing you've ever said."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." He lowered his head and crashed his lips against hers. He'd been wanting to do that all day and clearly she had too from the way she was kissing him back, her tongue lashing against his until the need for air made them break apart.

"So what are we doing this weekend?" she asked, still slightly breathless. "Any ideas?"

"Nope. You?"

"Well, I'm sure we can come _up_ with something," she grinned as she bumped her pelvis against his.

"I have no doubt. Are you done in there for the day?"

"Yep."

"Then let's go."

* * *

_**A/N: Just a warning, the next chapter may very well be the last chapter. I have so many ideas swirling in my head with a new fic I can't put it off much longer. Thanks again to all of you who are reading and letting me know how much you're enjoying this. Love you guys!**_


	16. A Selfless Act

_**A/N: Okay, so remember last chapter when I said THIS would be the last chapter? I was wrong :) There's one more after this one. I realized this chapter was going to be way too long so I decided to split them up. Lucky you. Or not haha. You decide :)**_

* * *

**Chapter 16**

"Can we go to a karaoke bar?" Lexi asked Greg as they sat, digesting dinner.

"Tonight?"

"Yeah. I forgot how much fun it is when I did it last month at the rehab center."

"Sure. Just don't expect me to get up there."

"Oh come on," she cooed as she got up and planted herself in his lap.

"There isn't enough booze in that establishment to get me up there. But feel free to go up as many times as you like. I'll cheer you on."

She smiled as she leaned over and began nibbling his ear while whispering suggestions as to what she'd do to him when they got back home.

"Why don't we just skip the karaoke and stay home to do that?" he grinned as he slid his hands up her shirt.

"What fun would that be?"

"I could make it fun."

"Greg," she whined as she squirmed to get off his lap but he held firm and wouldn't let her go. "You said we'd date."

"We are."

"Staying home isn't dating. That's just...fucking."

"Nothing wrong with that as far as I can tell," he grinned as his hand slipped down the back of her jeans and squeezed her ass. "You certainly didn't have any complaints the other night."

His lips and his tongue began doing things to her neck that made her sigh dreamily.

"No...complaints here. But I want to go out tonight and do something. We don't even have to stay long. Just a few hours. And then we can come home and..." she whispered a few more ideas in his ear and his cock twitched.

"Let's go."

X X X

They ended up staying a little over three hours until Lexi was too tired. The bar wasn't crowded, so she was able to sing several songs before her throat started to bother her.

The door to the apartment flew open and House tossed his keys on the table as Lexi groped in the dark for the light switch. Their mouths were locked in a deep kiss and House stumbled across the room, pulling her with him.

"Forget the light," he murmured against her lips as they dropped onto the couch. She was sitting on his lap, being mindful of his bad leg as she worked at unbuttoning his shirt as quickly as possible while he pulled his mouth from hers just long enough to get her shirt over her head. Her bra was next to end up on the floor and then he unzipped her jeans, slipping his hand inside her underwear. "Get em' off," he ordered, his voice cracking a little as he unbuckled his own belt.

Lexi got up for a second to remove her jeans at the same time House pulled his own pants and boxers off. Then he pulled her back onto his lap and nudged the tip of his cock against her entrance.

The room was dark and he couldn't see two feet in front of him but that only made it more erotic. All they could hear were the sounds of their breathing and the sounds of their lips as they crashed together.

It was so erotic that Lexi could feel herself reaching the point of no return too soon. "Slow down," she murmured against his lips as she buried her fingers in his hair and kissed his neck. His scruff was longer than usual and it scraped her cheek as she spoke.

"Can't..." was all he was able to choke out as he bucked his hips and wrapped his arms around her. "Oh God...Lexi..."

Lexi groaned as he filled her, thrusting deep and fast like a piston. She felt so good inside and he could feel her inner walls begin to contract, squeezing him like a vice. "Someone's been doing her Kegel exercises," he murmured against her lips.

"Mmm...you like?"

"Oh yeah...yeah that's so...good," he groaned as he squeezed her and covered her mouth with his to swallow her screams as she came.

"Greg!" she cried out as he followed her over the edge and thrust a few more times, riding out his own orgasm. "Yes!" her fingers buried in the back of his hair as she came down from her high and collapsed against him, her chin on his shoulder. "My God, that was...good."

House pulled back to look at her. "Just _good_?"

"I'm sorry, but I've lost the ability to come up with fancier adjectives at this time. Please try again later."

House laughed out loud. "I can handle that. Come on, I need to get up."

Lexi climbed out of his lap and went to the kitchen to pour them a drink while he went into the bathroom.

"Scotch?" She called to him.

"Absolutely."

X X X

Two weeks later, both of them were seriously running on empty. Between clinic duty and back to back patients, Greg was exhausted and Lexi was having a hard time keeping up with his paperwork.

As she was packing up her things for the day, a knock on the glass door startled her and she glanced up to see a middle-aged man standing in the doorway.

"Lexi, right?" he said, his voice was smooth as glass and he was dressed impeccably in an Armani suit.

She narrowed her eyes at him and backed away. He didn't look dangerous or bad, but she wasn't taking any chances.

"Yes. Do I know you?"

"Not yet. I'm David. David Mahon. I'm a record producer for a company in L.A."

"L.A. huh? What are you doing all the way over on this side of the country? Scraping the bottom of the barrel?"

David laughed and shook his head. "Not quite. I happened to see you at a karaoke bar a couple of weeks ago. You sang quite a few songs and I couldn't help but wonder how you'd sound in a studio."

"Right," she said as she continued stuffing things into her bag, "casting couch, and all, right?"

"Not at all. Let me start by saying you are a very difficult woman to find, Lexi. Had it not been for the owner of the bar knowing your friend, Dr. House, I never would have found you."

"And now that you have?"

"I'd like to record you. I have a studio in town that I use when I'm visiting and I'd love to have you come in and lay down a few tracks. Have you ever done anything like that before?"

"No."

"Have you ever been on stage before?"

"Yes."

"Oh? Plays?"

"I was in a show in Atlantic City for a couple of years."

"Very nice. Why did you leave?"

Lexi lowered her head. "I...had some personal issues I needed to deal with. And then I got sick. They had to let me go."

David nodded like he understood, and it seemed like he was actually listening to her.

"I see. Well," he said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card, "here's my card. If you decide you'd like to give it a shot, please don't hesitate to call me. I'm only going to be in town for a few more days before I head back to L.A. I really hope to hear from you."

He extended his hand and Lexi shook it firmly, earning a wide smile from David. "Have a good evening, Lexi...do you have a last name?"

"Vakakis."

David's eyes widened. "You're not...Appollonia Vakakis's daughter?"

Lexi smiled weakly and nodded. "Yes. I am."

"Wow. It's a small world. I'm from Florida. My Uncle represented your Mother when she was in the ballet."

Now it was Lexi's turn to be shocked. "Your uncle is Richard Mahon?"

"The one and only. Well, now you have to come record for me, Lexi. It would be an honour to have you in the studio. And if it all works out, signed to our record label. If you sound as good on record as you do in a smoky bar, I have no doubt they'll be climbing all over themselves to sign you up. So think it over," he said as House came strolling in, twirling his cane.

"Think what over?" Greg inquired as he looked at the two of them standing in his office. David looked enamored and Lexi looked shell-shocked.

"David Mahon, this is Dr. Greg House. Greg, this is David Mahon, he's a producer from L.A."

She watched as the men shook hands and sized each other up, like two dogs in the street. "A producer, huh?"

"Yes, well, I have to get going. I'll be waiting for your call, Lexi. Nice to meet you, Dr. House."

"Same to you, Dave," Greg replied, sounding bored. When David was gone, he flopped into his chair and ran his hands over his face. "Ready to go?"

"Huh? Oh...yeah," she said as she grabbed her coat and her purse.

XXX

House was silent on the short drive home. His head was spinning with all kinds of questions and scenarios he did not want to think about. When they arrived at the apartment, he went straight to the bedroom to change clothes. Then, instead of going to the living room to crash in front of the TV, he stretched out on the bed and threw his arm over his eyes.

A few minutes later, Lexi quietly knocked on the door. "Greg?"

"Come in."

The door opened and she poked her head around it. "Are you okay?"

"Oh yeah," he sighed. "Just ducky. What do you want?"

"I just wanted to know what you felt like for dinner."

"I don't care. Whatever."

"Oookay. What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

He heard her close the door and he looked over to see that she was standing next to the bed. "Please talk to me," she pleaded.

"There's nothing to talk about."

"Obviously you're upset about something."

"I'm not upset!" he barked, making her jump a little.

Lexi's hands went up in surrender and she backed off. "Fine. I...don't know...what your problem is. But if...you're just...going to lay there and...be a jerk then fine. Stay in here. I'm ordering in."

She stormed out, slamming the door closed behind her and House groaned.

_Great. Now she's so upset she's stuttering._ He pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes and stared at the ceiling. _Would she leave now?_ He had no idea what she and that David guy had been talking about but he sensed an energy from her that he hadn't felt before. _Was it excitement?_ No, it was hope, he realized after thinking about it. He obviously said something that made her very excited and happy. _So why didn't she share it with him right away? Was she worried about how he'd react? React to what?_ He didn't even know what was going on.

_I suppose I should just cut to the chase and ask. Get it over with, like ripping off a band-aid. _

_What would I do if she wanted to leave?_

_She always said this arrangement was only temporary until she saved enough money. __She would have no trouble getting her old job back now. Why should she stay? Why would she even want to? I'm just an old, beat up cripple with nothing to offer her. She could do so much better. _

When he closed his eyes, he eventually dozed off until he felt Lexi's warm body slipping into bed next to him.

"You're going to leave me, aren't you?" he asked. The dark room made him feel safe in asking that question. If he didn't like the answer she wouldn't see the sadness in his eyes, pleading her not to.

"Oh Greg, no," she sighed as she curled up to his side and placed her hand on top of his. "Whatever made you think that?"

"Everybody leaves. Stacy left. Sooner or later, you'll leave too."

"I'm not going anywhere."

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Lexi," he said quietly, trying to keep his voice strong when really, he was falling apart.

"Do you know who that guy was? He was the nephew of the man who represented my Mother years ago when she was in the business. He was at the karaoke bar a few weeks ago and he heard me sing. The owner told him I was with you and so I guess he looked you up. He wants me to come to some studio and record a few songs. That's it. He didn't promise me the sun and the moon like some slimy Hollywood agent with a big silver pen."

"But he is from Hollywood, right?"

"L.A."

"Same difference. Once he hears you sing in that studio he's going to want to sign you to his label. Which means he'll want you in L.A."

"I don't want to just be another singer. I want to be on stage. I'm not going to settle for just anything."

"What if he offered you the brass ring, Lexi? You can't turn that down. It's a once in a lifetime thing. As much as I'd hate for you to go, I won't hold you back from it, either. I can't. I don't want you to look at me five years later, ten years later, resenting me for not letting you follow your dreams."

Lexi snorted but House turned and looked at her. Even in the dark he could tell she was skeptical. "You can laugh now, but if he handed you a contract saying you could be in the chorus of any Broadway play, would you seriously tell him no? Think about it. There's nothing holding you here, Lexi," he pointed out. "We're not married, you have a shit job as my lackey and I wouldn't blame you if you hated it. But I'm not going to tell you to stay. I'm a lot of things, but I refuse to be selfish when it comes to you. And while I'm being honest, I'm hardly what anyone would classify as the marrying kind of guy."

Lexi was quiet then. He could tell she was taking in everything he was saying and he rolled onto his side to face her. He reached out and gently stroked her cheek, surprised to find it wet with warm tears. "Don't cry. Don't make this harder than it is."

"I...can't help it," she sniffed. "I don't want to leave you either."

"But you can't stay here just for me. You're young...and beautiful," he whispered, still stroking her face with the backs of his fingers. "You have your whole life ahead of you. I'd just be in the way."

"You're jumping to conclusions," she whispered. "I haven't even called the guy and you have my whole life planned out."

"I just want you to be happy."

"I am."

House felt her hand on his chest and he sighed when she leaned over and kissed him softly. He returned the kiss, tasting her salty tears on her lips and she shuddered as he pulled her into his arms, rolling them over so he was lying on top of her, his leg between hers.

"I really am," she whispered before she surrendered to his deep kisses, opening her mouth under his to allow his tongue to slide against hers. She let out a small whimper as his fingers buried in her hair and tugged her head back so he could devour her neck. However, he wasn't rough like he usually was. In fact, there was nothing rough or playful about him that night. He wanted to make her remember him, and to do that, he was going to make love to her. Slowly. He wanted to show her that their relationship wasn't just about sex to him. He wasn't one to express his feelings with words, but he knew how to get his point across in other ways. He just hoped she'd feel the same.

Lexi closed her eyes as he pulled the hem of her blouse out of her skirt and lifted it over her head. She reached up and unbuttoned his sky blue shirt, pushed it off his shoulders and pulled his T-shirt off. She nuzzled his neck as he kissed her throat, moving his lips downward. He gently pinched her nipple between his thumb and index finger before taking it in his mouth and she arched her back. "Oh! Greg," she sighed, her nylon clad leg slid up and down against the back of his thigh as he unhooked the catch of her skirt and tugged on the zipper.

Greg glanced down at her, his eyes were dark and she was amazed at the intensity of them as he undressed her slowly and allowed her to do the same to him until they were both naked under the covers, holding and kissing each other like nothing else mattered. Lexi's mind had stopped whirling with thoughts and other insignificant details as soon as she kissed him. He could make her forget everything when he kissed her the way he did. Slowly. Deeply. Sensually.

In fact, if she didn't know any better, she'd swear she was being made love to. At that moment, when their bodies finally joined, she was hit with a wave of emotions that brought tears to her eyes once more.

Lexi loved him. Of that she was absolutely certain, and she felt herself aching to say those three words she'd wanted to say since the summer.

_Would it scare him? Would he tell me he loved me back?_

He moved slowly over her. In and out, carefully and deeply until she felt her body responding in ways she couldn't control. His hand slid down over her leg, wrapping it around his waist so as to go deeper within her and she threw her head back to let him attack her neck with his soft lips. His tongue traced invisible patterns at the base of her throat as she clenched every muscle in her body. The end was coming fast and when it would hit, it would be like an explosion and she was powerless to stop it.

His hands sought hers and their fingers interlaced, pressing down against the pillows as he moved faster but still maintained control. Deep thrusts that left them both speechless and completely numb as she shuddered and let go, allowing him to fill her completely.

"Greg! I..." she cried out, her voice hoarse with emotion.

"Shhh," he whispered in her ear as he buried his head against the crook of her neck. "Shhh."

Lexi could feel him pulsing as he emptied himself into her and then his whole body relaxed and he held her close to him, like he was afraid she'd disappear. His hand stroked her hair as they lay still connected to each other for a little while longer.

"Greg," she whispered.

"Hmm?" he mumbled, clearly almost asleep already.

"I am happy. _You_ make me happy."

"You make me happy too," he grumbled against her ear as he rolled onto his back with a regretful sigh, taking her with him. "Go to sleep," he whispered. "We'll talk in the morning."

She smiled and curled up next to him as he spooned her. They were asleep in minutes.


	17. Finale

_**A/N: Okay, no kidding around this time. This is, as I said, the final chapter of this story. Thanks to everyone who's read and reviewed. I'm glad you came on the journey with me.**_

_**And thanks again to my AWESOME Beta, Iyimgrace who made this fic even better with her insight and helpfulness.**_

_**On we go...**_

* * *

**Chapter 17**

House woke up to a growling stomach which he couldn't ignore. Being careful not to wake Lexi, he climbed out of bed and went to the kitchen. He found a pizza box in the fridge and discovered she'd only eaten one piece. He took out two plates, put a couple of pieces on each and reheated them in the microwave before bringing them back to the bedroom.

"What time is it?" she murmured.

"Time to eat. I'm hungry." He handed her a plate as he climbed back into bed and they ate quietly for a few minutes.

"What time is it, really?" Lexi asked him.

"Just after midnight, and I'm still exhausted," he yawned as he slid under the covers and fluffed his pillow.

"Greg?" she whispered in the darkness.

"Yeah?"

"If I call David, will you come with me to the studio?"

"Absolutely."

X X X

As expected, David was thrilled to hear from Lexi and invited her to come down to the studios for an impromptu recording session. However, instead of the downtown Jersey studio he initially had planned, he requested she come into New York instead and booked her a suite at the Plaza.

Lexi didn't think anything of it, but House had his suspicions about David Mahon's intentions. His suspicions weren't without merit. When David knocked on the hotel room door and House answered, he seemed surprised, and perhaps even disappointed that Lexi brought House with her.

"Problem, Dave?" House snarked at the man.

"Not at all. I'm just...surprised to see you, Dr. House. I didn't realize that you and Lexi were..."

"A couple? Sorry to put a wrench in your plans. I suppose the deal is off now."

David recovered very quickly. "Of course not."

"Y-you said there w-wouldn't be a casting couch, David," Lexi stammered as she stood behind them, her arms folded across her chest. "I thought y-your intentions were honourable, but obviously you just w-wanted to get me here to...to..."

David looked past House to Lexi. "That's not it. You're booked at the studio for nine a.m. Dr. House is welcome to attend if he'd like. I'm very sorry if you got the wrong impression. Please accept my sincere apologies."

"Apology accepted, but we want a different suite," House grumbled. "Unless of course you want to hear her screams of ecstasy through the wall."

David frowned and stiffened. "I'll set that up right away."

An hour later, they were whisked a few floors up to one of the presidential suites. "The nerve of that little prick," House grumbled as he wandered through the rooms,

"Greg, it's fine, really."

"I have a bad feeling about this."

Lexi grabbed the lapels of House's jacket and stood on her tip toes to look him in the eye. "I'm a big girl, Greg. I can handle it. Besides, it's possible nothing will come of this."

"Oh come on. Do you think a record company is going to invest in all this trouble if it didn't think you were worth it?"

"I don't know, Greg."

He slid his arms around her waist and looked at her seriously. "Do you have any idea how good you are? This guy heard you sing and took two weeks to track you down. Now, here you are in one of the finest hotels in the city."

"Yeah, I haven't been in the studio yet," she pointed out.

"Minor detail. I think it's just a formality. I've seen a few recording studios in my day. You'll sing, and they'll make you sound even more amazing than you ever thought possible. Just make sure you're doing what you want to do. And make sure you have a damn good lawyer."

Lexi smiled and gently reached up to place her hand on his scruffy cheek. House leaned into her touch and closed his eyes. Everything was happening so fast, it seemed.

"Come on, let's get out of here for awhile," she suggested before reaching up to kiss him. House kissed her back but his heart wasn't in it. His head was still swirling.

They spent the day browsing some shops, stopped to have dinner at a blues club, and then took a taxi back to the hotel where they turned in early.

X X X

It was still dark in the room, and Lexi had no idea what time it was. At first she thought she was imagining Greg's lips on the back of her neck, moving downwards across her shoulder and his fingers sliding down down her spine.

"Mmm...Greg?"

"Shh," he whispered as his other hand slipped under her and began massaging her left breast as he spooned up against her. It was very arousing as he pressed his erection against her hip and she arched her back against him.

"Wha...what're you doing?"

"Feeling you," he whispered as his hands gently massaged and caressed her breasts while his lips continued to place hot kisses everywhere: her neck, her ears and her shoulders. "I love feeling you." His voice was deep and husky as he nudged his cock against her ass.

"I love the way you feel me," she whispered back as she covered one of his hands with hers and guided it down to her stomach. He caught on and slid his hand down the front of her lace sleep shorts. She was already wet for him and his fingers began rubbing in a slow, circular motion, making her wetter with each stroke. "Oh yessss," she hissed as he continued to do that and rub himself against her. "Oh, Greg! Yes! Please..."

"Like that?"

"Oh God...yes...don't tease..."

"You like it when I tease," he chuckled in her ear as he nudged the tip of his cock between her legs. His hand yanked at her shorts and literally ripped them away with a loud grunt and she gasped when she felt him enter her from behind. He lifted her leg and held it up as he easily slid inside of her and they both moaned together at the hot, silky wetness they could both feel. "Oh fuck, Lexi...you're so hot and tight," he mumbled into her shoulder as his scruff rubbed against her skin.

"Fuck me, Greg...just...fuck me! Harder!" she cried out as she pressed back against his thrusts.

"Deeper!" she groaned as he picked up the pace a little. From that angle she felt like he would tear her in half if he kept it up. But it felt too good to stop. "Oh fuck yes!"

She could see stars behind her eyelids as Greg rolled her onto her stomach and continued to slam into her, hitting her G-spot so hard that she was coming and screaming intelligibly into the pillow. Her fingers gripped the sheets as he came with a loud grunt and collapsed on top of her, resting his head against her back.

She didn't want to move. She couldn't move, but she didn't mind the weight of him on her. In fact, it felt very reassuring to know he was there.

A few minutes passed and Greg rolled off of her and went to get them both a drink. "Thanks," she croaked, her mouth and throat dry as he passed her a glass of ice water. He returned to the bed with one for himself and they sat in silence as they sipped.

"I guess that was probably a bad idea," he chuckled.

"What was?"

He gestured to them and the bed. "All that moaning and screaming can't be good for your voice," he grinned.

Lexi threw her head back and gave a deep, hearty laugh. "Sacrifices must be made. It was worth it." Then she looked at him seriously. "You're worth it."

"Don't say things like that," he said quietly as he turned his bedside lamp off and slipped under the covers.

"Why not? It's the truth."

"It'll just make it harder when you leave," he mumbled.

Lexi rolled her eyes and turned off her lamp before snuggling up to Greg. "Jumping to conclusions again."

"Maybe, maybe not. We'll know later. Get some sleep. It's going to be a long day."

X X X

The studio was in an older building, but the inside was very posh and tastefully decorated. David Mahon was there to greet them when they came into the lobby. "I brought someone with me," he said as he stepped aside. The door opened and an older man in his fifties stepped into the room. Lexi gasped and covered her mouth with her hand.

"Alexandra," the man said softly as he pulled her into his arms for a hug. House stood by and watched as she completely fell apart.

"Richard, you're here," she whispered.

"When David told me, I had to come up here and see for myself. I'd heard you left Florida and went north but nobody seemed to have any idea where you went. It was as if you dropped off the face of the earth."

"She almost did," House muttered to himself. He was feeling very uncomfortable at the moment. Like he was intruding. Richard Mahon didn't give off the smarmy vibe that David did. In fact, he came off as more of a father figure to Lexi. And if her reaction was any indication, that was probably closer to the truth.

Lexi wiped the tears from her eyes and sniffed as she reached for House's hand. "Greg, come here. I want you to meet Richard. Richard, this is Dr. Greg House. He saved my life."

Richard extended his hand and House shook it firmly. "Any friend of Alexandra's is a friend of mine, Dr. House. Please, won't you stay? Can I offer you some coffee? Tea?"

"Coffee would be fine, thanks."

A young woman ducked out of the room just then and returned moments later with a tray of refreshments and set it down before pouring the coffee.

"So, Lexi," David smiled at her once they were all seated. "How about doing some singing this morning?"

"Any requests?"

David shrugged. "Whatever you want."

House noticed, as they spoke, that Richard was staring at Lexi as if he was seeing her for the first time. "We found her a good speech therapist," he whispered conspiratorially to Richard.

"It's...remarkable."

"Yeah it is. She's much happier for it."

David led Lexi into a sound proof room and gave her some instructions. Before long, her voice was belting out all kinds of songs. Everything from show tunes to jazz to pop music. She was entirely in her element and the more she sang, the more House realized he was going to lose her.

_Keep it together, man_! he admonished himself as he sipped his coffee, fully aware that his hands were shaking.

He watched David and Richard whisper and nod to each other from the control room and it felt like every fear was being confirmed.

It was a whirlwind after that. She was taken into an office and offered a very enticing contract.

"This is really overwhelming," she began, looking at the two men sitting in front of her. "But I don't want to just be a singer. All my life I've felt like I belonged on stage, in a chorus, or maybe even a Broadway production. I don't belong in a sound booth. I can't write music to save my life, nor do I care to."

"Lexi, we understand completely. But you don't want to pass this up. Not everyone gets a shot at the brass ring."

Lexi glanced at House, remembering that he'd said the same thing to her just a couple of days earlier.

"Would I have to move to L.A?"

"Yes. That's where studio headquarters are located. Everything will be finalized there. We'll get you an agent, a lawyer, and there's a penthouse apartment set up for you. We have big plans for you, Alexandra," Richard said as he smiled at her. "Your Mother would be proud. You have an amazing voice and we'd be stupid to let you leave here without signing you. You can shop around, of course. But I don't think you're going to find a better offer."

"It's not about the money, Richard," Lexi said to him with conviction. "I've made somewhat of a life here on the east coast. I was in a show in Atlantic City. I want the rush of going on stage and dancing and singing. It's been a long time and I miss it more than anything. That's where I belong."

"Then that's where you shall be," Richard said with a solid nod. "But we need you in L.A. Just until we get you set up and get the ball rolling."

She looked at House, her eyes were glassy with tears that hadn't yet fallen. "Greg..."

"It's your life," he said quietly as he rubbed his thigh. "You have to do what's right for you. Don't worry about me."

"I...I can't help it."

She looked back at the two men. "How long do I have to think about this?"

"The deal will be on the table until midnight Sunday."

"That's not very long," House snapped. "You're turning her whole life upside down with a simple snap of your fingers and she only has forty-eight hours to decide?"

"You have to understand Dr. House..."

But House held up his hand to stop David. "No, _you_ have to understand what this is doing to her. None of us doubts she has the makings of a star. She's got talent, looks, and a presence that you don't see very often." He glanced at Richard. "You seem to know her better than I do. If she were your daughter, would you want this for her?"

"Yes I would," Richard nodded. "I know talent when I see it and if anyone is going to sign her, it should be us. I'll keep a watchful eye on her, Dr. House. If that's what's worrying you. But you needn't worry. Alexandra will be well taken care of. And don't take her move to L.A. as our way of keeping you out of her life. You're welcome to stay with her."

"That's big of you, really," House said dryly. "The thing is, I can't just pick up and move to the west coast on a whim, and I won't. I have obligations here. Lexi understands that. In the end, it has to be her decision but I've already told her that I won't stand in her way, and I sure as hell won't tell her what she should do. She has to decide it for herself."

All three men turned to her and she looked at them one at a time, finally locking eyes with House. He knew what her decision was without her even having to say it. Without a word, he got up and left the room. He didn't want to know the gory details. She was leaving him. Plain and simple. Why would he want to stick around to watch her sign her life away on a piece of paper and get pats on the back on a decision well made?

Standing outside on the sidewalk, he looked around hopelessly. His leg was aching beyond belief. He reached into his pocket for his Vicodin and popped the cap off, shook out a couple of pills and dry swallowed them. Then he hailed a cab and returned to the hotel.

X X X

Lexi was driven back to the Plaza in the limo they'd arrived in, but it felt empty without Greg there with her. She smiled when she thought back to that morning and how they'd fooled around on the way to the studio.

Tears burned her eyes when she thought back to earlier when he woke her up with his hands and his mouth all over her. She quickly wiped her eyes with the back of her hand as the limo cruised down the busy streets.

_Was this my life now? Being chauffeured everywhere? _She dug in her purse for the contract she'd signed only an hour before and looked it over again. It was quite impressive, and she didn't regret her decision. She just wish it hadn't cost her Greg House.

Sure, they'd keep in touch for the first little while, but she was realistic. They'd talk every other day, then once a week, then once a month if she was lucky until he faded out of her life completely. Eventually, she'd look back on her time spent with him as if he were an angel. A guardian angel who saved her more than once and helped her get her life in order. That's what guardian angels did, wasn't it? That's what Greg did for her. If it weren't for him, she probably would have wound up dead in a back alley somewhere.

The limo pulled up in front of the hotel and she got out. She hoped Greg was still there, but it wouldn't have surprised her if he'd gone.

She let herself into their suite and found him standing outside on the balcony. "You're still here."

"Yeah," he said, not turning around. "Come to get your things?"

"I'm not going to L.A. until tomorrow morning."

"Wow. You move fast. Just thought you'd come see me for one more roll in the sack?"

Lexi clenched her teeth. He was hurt and upset. She understood completely. "You think you're the only one upset about this? You think I want to leave?" she snapped.

"I don't care what you want anymore. It doesn't matter, does it? Tomorrow you'll be gone, and I'll be alone. Nothing new. See now what I meant about not making promises you couldn't keep? Damn, you're even more naive than I thought. Did you really think you'd get to stay on the east coast?"

"No, I knew I'd probably have to go to L.A. But..."

House whirled around, the glass of Scotch now visible in his hand. "But you thought you'd come back here and poke me with the sharp stick a few more times." He downed the rest of the scotch and the ice clinked to the bottom of the glass.

"Greg...you knew this was going to happen. You knew before I did. Why are you being like this? Can't we just..."

"Just what?" he snapped, taking a step toward her and making her want to step back.

"How many of those have you had?" she asked, pointing to the empty tumbler.

"Not enough. I guess part of me thinks that if I keep drinking you'll disappear."

"I don't want it to end like this," she said, her voice wavering.

"Everything ends badly. Otherwise it wouldn't end. I can't remember where I heard that, but it makes sense, doesn't it?"

"It doesn't have to."

"It's easier for me."

"It's easier for you to hate me? You can say it all you want, but I know it's not true. Your actions speak louder than words."

Greg looked at her, his eyes full of pain and longing. She recognized that look and all she wanted to do was have him hold her. To smell his unique scent one last time and feel his lips against hers.

Suddenly, it was as if he were reading her mind. He put the glass down, crossed the room in three long strides and pulled her into his arms. His cane clattered to the marble floor as he squeezed her tightly, his chin resting on the top of her head.

"I love you, Greg," she whispered. "I really love you. I always have."

She could feel him take in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Then he bent his head and kissed her. It was such a gentle kiss that she thought she was imagining it. But then it quickly turned desperate and they looked into each others eyes as she kissed him back.

She wasn't sure how they ended up in bed. He definitely didn't carry her. But there they were, kissing hungrily and stopping just long enough for him to pull her shirt over her head.

"Oh God," she groaned as he unbuttoned her pants and slipped his hand inside. Her panties were already wet.

"I need you, Greg. I want to feel you inside me. Now!"

Greg fumbled out of his boxers and used his left leg to steady himself.

"Make love to me, Greg. Please?" she moaned, grabbing his shoulders and thrusting against him as he slipped inside. _Just one last time..._

The first few thrusts were gentle and deliberate, but then he began moving faster. "Lexi..." he grunted as he kissed her deeply.

"I love you so much," she whimpered between kisses as she clutched him closer to her.

"I know," he said quietly.

"I've loved you for so long..."

Greg gave a few more thrusts and pushed her over the edge, following close behind as they rode out their orgasms together.

"I'm really going to miss this," he sighed as he collapsed against the pillows and caught his breath.

"Don't say that," she whispered as she stroked his sweaty hair. "Let's just..enjoy the moment for now."

X X X

The airport terminal was packed for being early in the morning on a Sunday. Richard and David were standing nearby, but far enough away to give the couple some privacy.

House and Lexi stood off to the side, out of the way from the other passengers. "When you get organized, send me an email with your new address and I'll box up your stuff."

"I appreciate that, thanks, Greg."

He shrugged and looked down at the floor, but he never let go of her hands.

Her flight was announced and she blinked back tears. House reached over and wiped them away. "No tears. This is hard enough as it is without your crying."

Lexi choked back a sob and nodded before she threw herself into his arms and held onto him for dear life.

"I'll call you. I promise."

"Don't. Don't make promises."

She looked up at him, her eyes brimming with tears. "I didn't think it would be this hard. Actually I did, I just hoped it wouldn't be."

"You'll be fine. Richard will look out for you. Don't worry about me."

"I know. You have Wilson," Lexi smiled.

They paged her flight again and he pulled her close and kissed her lovingly on the mouth. Lexi's arms wrapped around his neck as the kiss deepened.

"We should turn the hose on those two," David muttered under his breath, earning a cold stare from his uncle.

"Leave her alone."

They watched as the couple separated, hugged quickly and then she picked up her bag.

"I'll miss you."

House merely nodded as he watched her walk to the gate with Richard. He waited until she boarded and then headed back to the hotel.

X X X

_One year later..._

"Did you know Lexi's CD is out?" Wilson inquired as the two men sat and watched the hockey game.

"Yep."

"Have you listened to it yet?"

"Nope."

"Why not?"

"I just got it this morning. She sent me a copy."

"Yeah, she sent me one too. Have you talked to her lately?"

"I called her but she wasn't around. Seems to be the norm these days. Ah well," he sighed as the game ended. "I'm going to turn in early. Cuddy wants me to start research on creating a Diagnostics department."

"Wow. That's...huge."

"Yeah. I'll even get to pick my own team. Gotta have someone to do my grunt work."

Wilson got up and threw his jacket on. "G'night, House. See you tomorrow."

"G'night, Wilson."

House locked the door and limped across the room. He took the CD out of the case and placed it in the tray before he relaxed on the couch with a glass of Scotch. Lexi's voice filled the room in surround sound as she sang about Route 66 and nightingales in Berkeley Square. As he flipped through the small booklet that came with the CD, he fell upon the last page. It was completely blank except for two words in the middle:

_For Greg_

As his fingers traced over the small letters, he couldn't stop the smile that crossed his face.

**The End.**

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* * *

_A/N: Well that's the end of this journey. I am working on other projects so stay tuned for those and add me to your author alert if you haven't already so you don't miss out. Thanks again for reading and sticking with me until the end. I love you guys! _  
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